Editing Antiochus XII Dionysus (section)

====Second Nabataean campaign, war in Judea and death====
Although his territory directly abutted Nabataean territory, for his second Nabataean campaign Antiochus XII instead chose to march his forces through Judaea along the coast,{{sfn|Roschinski|1980|p=143}} probably to attack the Nabataean-dominated [[Negev]], which would have cut off the port city of [[Gaza City|Gaza]], threatened Nabataean Mediterranean trade, and curbed Nabataean ambitions in the [[Transjordan (region)|Transjordan]]. This route would have allowed Antiochus XII to keep Alexander Jannaeus at bay.{{sfn|Mittmann|2006|p=31}} According to Josephus, the Judaean King feared Antiochus XII's intentions and ordered the "Yannai Line" to be built, which consisted of a trench that fronted a defensive wall dotted with wooden towers. The trench stretched {{convert|28|km|mi|sp=us}} from [[Kfar Saba|Caphersaba]] to the sea near [[Jaffa|Joppa]].{{sfn|Fantalkin|Tal|2003|p=109}} Antiochus XII leveled the trench, burned the fortifications, and continued his march into Nabataean territory.{{sfn|Fantalkin|Tal|2003|p=108}}

The account of the campaign, written by Josephus, is subject to some debate; the historian wrote that Antiochus XII's forces defeated those of Alexander Jannaeus, but the eighth-century historian [[George Syncellus]] mentioned a defeat suffered by Antiochus XII at the hands of the Judaean king.{{#tag:ref|It seems that Syncellus did not rely only on Josephus and had access to other sources; [[Heinrich Gelzer]] suggested that Syncellus used the account of [[Justus of Tiberias]].{{sfn|Stern|1981|p=44}} It is possible that Josephus deliberately ignored the victories of Alexander Jannaeus; this can be explained by Josephus's reliance on the first century BC historian [[Nicolaus of Damascus]], whose treatment of the Hasmonean dynasty is hostile due to the latter's role in destroying many Hellenistic centers.{{sfn|Stern|1987|p=[https://books.google.com/books?id=DPzZTN74jAcC&pg=PA113 113]}}|group=note}}{{sfn|Stern|1981|p=44}} The existence of the Yannai Line has been questioned by several historians,{{#tag:ref|The trench of Alexander Jannaeus was named the "Yannai Line" by Jacob Kaplan in the 1950s. Kaplan interpreted archeological remains from [[Bnei Brak]] and [[Tel Aviv]] as parts of that line and his conclusions were generally accepted by the majority of scholars.{{sfn|Fantalkin|Tal|2003|p=108}} Bezalel Bar-Kochva raised questions regarding the line, noting that it would have taken Antiochus XII ten to fifteen days to march from Damascus to the [[Sharon plain]] where the line purportedly stood, which would not be sufficient time for such a project to be constructed.{{sfn|Fantalkin|Tal|2003|p=109}} Kenneth Atkinson suggested that Alexander Jannaeus constructed the Yannai Line after defeating Antiochus XII, in anticipation of Antiochus XII's return.{{sfn|Atkinson|2012|p=[https://books.google.com/books?id=mFZsgugWF_UC&pg=PA150 150]}} Bar-Kochva suggested that the line was erected earlier than Antiochus XII's invasion, perhaps to fend off a different enemy. He suggested that the plain stretching {{convert|4|km|mi|sp=us}} between western [[Samaria]] and [[Tel Afek]] east of the Yarkon River's source was the location of the line.{{sfn|Fantalkin|Tal|2003|p=109}} The archeological remains interpreted by Kaplan as evidence for the line do not fit the time frame of Antiochus XII's invasion and may belong to non-military civilian establishments.{{sfn|Fantalkin|Tal|2003|p=119}}|group=note}}{{sfn|Fantalkin|Tal|2003|p=108}} and Josephus's explanation of Alexander Jannaeus's attempt to stop the march of Antiochus XII, because of his fears of the latter's intentions, is unsatisfactory. Both the Nabataeans and Syrians were enemies of Judea and it would have been to Alexander Jannaeus's benefit if those two powers were in conflict.{{sfn|Atkinson|2011|p=[https://books.google.com/books?id=Gg41SrMJSoEC&pg=PA19 19]}} Syncellus may have been referring to an earlier confrontation between the Syrian king and Alexander Jannaeus.{{sfn|Stern|1981|p=44}} Thus the statement of Syncellus supports the notion that Antiochus XII's second Nabataean campaign was also aimed at Judea; perhaps Antiochus XII sought to annex the coastal cities of Alexander Jannaeus as retribution for the defeat mentioned by Syncellus.{{sfn|Atkinson|2011|p=[https://books.google.com/books?id=Gg41SrMJSoEC&pg=PA19 19]}} Another objective would be subduing the Judaeans to keep them from attacking Syria while Antiochus XII was busy in Nabataea.{{sfn|Atkinson|2012|p=[https://books.google.com/books?id=mFZsgugWF_UC&pg=PA150 150]}}

The final engagement between the forces of Antiochus XII and the Nabataeans occurred near the village of [[Battle of Cana|Cana]],{{#tag:ref|If the account of Uranius is accepted, and if he meant Antiochus XII instead of Antigonus I, then the last battle took place near Motho in Moab.{{sfn|Sartre|2005|p=[https://books.google.com/books?id=9y7nTpFcN3AC&pg=PA19 19]}}|group=note}}{{sfn|Leeming|Leeming|2003|p=[https://books.google.com/books?id=gu5HI-4gyXgC&pg=PA122 122]}} the location of which is unknown, but is generally assumed by modern scholars to be southwest of the [[Dead Sea]].{{sfn|Shatzman|1991|p=119}} Historian Siegfried Mittmann considered it to be synonymous with ''Qina'', modern-day [[Horvat Uza]], as mentioned by Josephus in Book 15 of his ''Antiquities''.{{sfn|Mittmann|2006|p=32}} Details of the battle, as written by Josephus, spoke of the Nabataeans employing a [[feigned retreat]],{{sfn|Shatzman|1991|p=124}} then counterattacking the Syrian forces before their ranks could be ordered. Antiochus XII managed to rally his troops and weathered the attack, but he fought in the front lines, jeopardizing his life, and he eventually fell.{{sfn|Leeming|Leeming|2003|p=[https://books.google.com/books?id=gu5HI-4gyXgC&pg=PA122 122]}} The year of Antiochus XII's death is debated,{{sfn|Shatzman|1991|p=120}} but his last coins struck in Damascus are dated to 230 SE (83/82 BC).{{sfn|Hoover|Houghton|Veselý|2008|p=214}}