Page images
PDF
EPUB

if there should any danger arise, it was a glorious thing to die for the laws of their country; because that the * soul was immortal, and that an eternal enjoyment of happiness did await such as died on that account; while the mean spirited, and those that were not wise enough to shew a right love of their souls, preferred a death by a disease, before that whichis the result of a virtuous behaviour.

3. At the same time that these men made this speech to their disciples, a rumour was spread abroad, that the king was dying, which made the young men set about the work with greater boldness: they therefore let themselves down from the top of the temple with thick cords, and this at mid-day, and while a great number of people were in the temple, and cut down that golden eagle with axes. This was presently told to the king's captain of the temple, who came running with a great body of soldiers and caught about forty of the young men, and brought them to the king. And when he asked them first of all whether they had been so hardy as to cut down the golden eagle? they confessed they had done so: and when he asked them by whose command they had done it, they replied, at the command of the law of their country; and when he farther asked them, how they could be so joyful when they were to be put to death, they replied, because they should enjoy greater happiness after they were dead.

* Since in these two sections, we have an evident account of the Jewish opinions in the days of Josephus, about a future happy state, and the resurrection of the dead, as in the New Testament, John xi. 25. I shall here refer to the other places in Josephus, before he became a Catholic Christian, which concern the same matters. Of the War. B. ii. ch. viii. $ 10, 11. B. iii. ch. viii. § 4. vol. v. B vii ch. vi. § 7 Contr. Apion, B ii. § 30 vol. vi. Where we may observe, that none of these passages are in his books of Antiqui ties, written peculiarly for the use of the Gentiles, to whom he thought it not proper to insist on topics so much out of the way as These were Nor is the observation to be omitted here, especially on account of the sensible difference we have now before us in Jose. phus' representation of the arguments used by the Rabbins to persuade their scholars to hazard their lives for the vindication of God's law against images, by Moses, as well as of the answers those scholars made to Herod, when they were caught and ready to die for the same; I mean as compassed with the parallel arguments and answers represented in the Antiquities. B. xvii. ch vi. § 2, 3. vol. iv. A like difference between Jewish and Gentile notions, the reader will find in my notes on Antiquities, B. iii ch. vii. § 7 vol. i. B. xv. ch. ix. §. vol. iii. See the like also in the case of the three

4. At this the king was in such an extravagant passion, that he overcame his disease [for the time,] and went out, and spake to the people; wherein he made a terrible accusa tion against those men, as being guilty of sacrilege, and as making greater attempts under pretence of their law, and he thought they deserved to be punished as impious persons. Whereupon the people were afraid lest a great number should be found guilty, and desired that when he had first punished those that put them upon this work, and then those that were caught in it, he would leave off his anger as to the rest. With this the king complied, though not without difficulty, and ordered those that had let themselves down, together with their rabbins, to be burnt alive, but delivered the rest that were caught to the proper officers, to be put to death by them.

5. After this the distemper seized upon his whole body, and greatly disordered all its parts with various symptoms; for there was a gentle fever upon him, and an intolerable itching over all the surface of his body, and continual pains in his colon, and dropsical tumours about his feet, and an inflammation of the abdomen, and a putrefaction of his privy member, that produced worms. Besides which, he had a difficulty of breathing upon him, and could not breathe but when he sat upright, and had a convulsion of all his members, insomuch that the diviners said, those diseases were a punishment upon him for what he had done to the rabbins. Yet did he struggle with his numerous disorders, and still had a desire to live, and hoped for recovery, and considered of several methods of cure. Accordingly he went over to Jordan, and made use of those hot baths at Callirhoe which run into the lake Asphaltitis, but are themselves sweet enough to be drunk. And here the physicians thought proper to bathe his whole body in warm oil, by letting it down into a large vessel full of oil; whereupon his eyes failed him, and he came and went as if he were dying; and as a tumult was then made by his servants, at their voice he revived again. Yet did he after this despair of recovery, and gave orders that each soldier should have fifty drachmæ a piece, and that his commanders and friends should have great sums of money given them.

Jewish sects in the Antiquities, B. xiii. ch. v. § 9. and ch. x. § 4, 5. vol. iii. B. xviii ch. i. § v. vol. iv, and compared with this in his Wars of the Jews, B. ii. ch. viii. § 2-14. vol. v. Nor does St. Paul him-. self reason to Gentiles at Athens, Acts xvii. 16, 34. as he does to Jews in his epistles,

32

THE JEWISH WAR.

Book I.

6. He then returned back and came to Jericho, in such a melancholy state of body as almost threatened him with preseat death, when he proceeded to attempt an horrid wickedness; for he got together the most illustrious men of the whole Jewish nation, out of every village, into a place called the Hippodrome, and there shut them in. He then called for his sister Salome, and her husband Alexas, and made this speech to them; "I know well enough that the Jews will keep a festival upon my death: however, it is in my power to be mourned for on other accounts, and to have a splen. "did funeral, if you will but be subservient to my commands. Do but you take care to send soldiers to encompass these men that are now in custody, and slay them immediately upon my death, and then all Judea, and every family of them will weep at it whether they will or no."

[ocr errors]
[ocr errors]

7. These were the commands he gave them; when there came letters from his ambassadors at Rome, whereby information was given, that Acme was put to death at Cæsar's commauds, and that Antipater was condemned to die : however, they wrote withal, that if Herod had a mind rather to banishi him, Cæsar permitted him so to do. So he for a little while revived, and had a desire to live; but presently after he was overborne by his pains, and was disordered by want of food, and by a convulsive cough, and endeavoured to prevent a natural death; so he took an apple, and asked for a knife, for he used to pare apples, and eat them; he then looked round about to see that there was nobody to hinder him, and lift up his right hand, as if he would stab himself; but Achiabus, his first cousin, came running to him, and held his hand and hindered him from so doing; cn which occasion a very great lamentation was made in the palace, as if the king were expiring. As soon as ever Antipater heard that, he took courage, and, with joy in his looks, besought his keepers, for a sum of money, to loose him, and let him go; but the principal keeper of the prison did not only obstruct him in that his intention, but ran and told the king what his design was: hereupon the king cried out louder than his distemper would well bear, and immediately sent some of his guards and slew Antipater; he also gave order to have him buried at Hyrcanium, and altered his testament again, and therein made Archelaus, his eldest son, and the brother of Antipas, his successor, and made Antipas tetrarch.

days, died, having reigned thirty-four years, since he had caused Antigonus to be slain, and obtained his kingdom; but thirty-seven years since he had been made king by the Romans. Now, as for his fortune, it was prosperous in all other respects, if ever any other man could be so, since, from a private man, he obtained a kingdom, and kept it so long, and left it to his own sons; but still in his domestic affairs, he was a most unfortunate man. Now before the soldiers knew of his death, Salome, and her husband came out and dismissed those that were in bonds, whom the king had commanded to be slain, and told them, that he had altered his mind, and would have every one of them sent to their own homes. When these. men were gone, Salome told the soldiers [the king was dead,} and got them and the rest of the multitude together to an assembly, in the amphitheatre at Jericho, where Ptolemy, who was intrusted by the king with his signet-ring, came before them, and spake of the happiness the king had attained, and comforted the multitude, and read the epistle which had been left for the soldiers, wherein he earnestly exhorted them to bear good-will to his successor; and after he had read the epistle, he opened and read his testament, wherein Philip was to inherit Trachonitis, and the neighbouring countries and Antipas was to be tetrarch, as he was before, and Archelaus was made king. He had also been commanded to carry Herod's ring to Cæsar, and the settlements he had made sealed up, because Casar was to be lord of all the settlements he had made, and was to confirm his testament; and he ordered that the dispositions he had made were to be kept as they were in his former testament.

9. So there was an acclamation made to Archelaus, to congratulate him upon his advancement, and the soldiers, with the multitude, went round about in troops, and promised him their good-will, and besides, prayed God to bless his government. After this they betook themselves to prepare for the king's funeral and Archelaus omitted nothing of magnificence therein, but brought out all the royal ornaments to augment the pomp of the deceased. There was a bier all of gold embroidered with precious stones, and a purple bed of various contexture, with the dead body upon it, covered with purple; and a diadem was put upon his head, and a crown of gold above it, and a sceptre in his right hand; and near to the bier were Herod's sons, and a multitude of his kindred; next to which came his guards, and the regiment of Thracians,

the Germans also, and Gauls, all accoutred as if they were going to war but the rest of the army went foremost, armed, and following their captains and officers in a regular manner; after whom, five hundred of his domestic servants and freedmen followed with sweet spices in their hands: and the body was carried two hundred furlongs, to Herodium, where he had given order to be buried. And this shall suffice for the. Conclusion of the life of Herod.

« PreviousContinue »