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thing in the temple as images, or faces, or the like representa tion of any animal whatfoever. Now the king had put up a golden eagle over the great gate of the temple, which thefe learned men exhorted them to cut down, and told them, that it there fhould any danger arife, it was a glorious thing to die for the laws of their country; because that the foul was immortal, and that an eternal enjoyment of happiness did await fuch as died on that account; while the mean fpirited, and thofe that were not wife enough to fhew a right love of their fouls, preferred a death by a difeale, before that which is the refult of a virtuous behaviour.

3. At the fame time that these men made this speech to their difciples a rumour was spread abroad, that the king was dy ing, which made the young men fet 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 foldiers 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 fo hardy as to cut down the golden eagle? they confeffed they had done fo; and when he asked them by whofe 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 fo joyful when they were to be put to death, they replied, * Becaufe they should enjoy greater happiness after they were dead.

4. At this the king was in fuch an extravagant paffion, that he overcame his dileafe [for the time,] and went out, and fpake to the people; wherein he made a terrible accufation a

Since in thefe two fections we have an evident account of the Jewish opinions in the days of Jofephus, about a future happy ftate, and the refurrection of the dead, as in the New Teftament, John xi. 24. I fhall here refer to the other places in Jofephus, before he became a Catholic Chriftian, which concern the fame matters. Of the War, B. II. ch. viii. feet. 10, 11. B. III. ch. viii. fect. 4 Vol. III. B. VII. ch. vi. fect. 7. Contr. Apion, B II. fect go Vol. III. where we may obferve, that none of these paffages are in his Books of Antiquities, written peculiarly for the ufe of the Gentiles, to whom he thought it not proper to infift on topics lo much out of their way as these were. Nor is this obfervation to be omitted here efpecially, on account of the fenfible difference we have now before us in Jofephus's representation of the arguments ufed by the rabbins to perinade their scholars to hazard their lives for the vindication of God's law, againft images, by Mofes, as well as of the answers thofe scholars made to Herod, when they were caught, and ready to die for the fame; I mean as compared with the parallel arguments and anfwers reprefented in the Antiquities, B. XVII. ch. vi. fect. 2, 3 Vol. II. A like difference between Jewish and Gentile notions, the reader will find in my notes on Antiquities, B. III. ch. vii, fect. 7. Vol. 1. B. XV. ch. ix. fe&t. 1. Vol. II. See the like alfo in the cafe of the three Jewish fects in the Antiquities, B. XIII. ch. v. fect. 9. and ch, x fect. 4, 5. Vol. II B. XVIII. ch. i. feft. 5. Vol. II. and compared with this in his Wars of the Jews, B. II. ch. viii. fect. 2-14. Vol. III. Nor does St. Paul himself reafon to Gentiles at Athens, Acts xvii. 16, 34. as he does to Jews in his epiftles.

gainst those men, as being guilty of facrilege, and as making greater attempts under pretence of their law, and he thought they deferved to be punished as impious perfons. Whereupon the people were afraid left a great number should be found guilty, and defired that when he had firft punished those that put them upon this work, and then thofe that were caught in it, he would leave off his anger as to the reft. With this the

king complied, though not without difficulty, and ordered thofe that had let themselves down, together with their rabbins, to be burnt alive, but delivered the reft that were caught to the proper officers, to be put to death by them.

5. After this the distemper feized upon his whole body, and greatly difordered all its parts with various fymptoms; for there was a gentle fever upon him, and an intolerable itching over all the furtace of his body and continual pains in his colon, and dropfical rumours about his feet, and an inflammation of the abdomen, and a putrefaction of his privy member, that produced worms. Belides which he had a difficulty of breathing upon him, and could not breathe but when he fat upright, and had a convulfion of all his members, infomuch that the diviners faid, thofe difeafes were a punishment upon him for what he had done to the rabbins. Yet did he ftruggle with his numerous diforders, and ftill had a defire to live, and hop ed for recovery, and confidered of feveral methods of cure, Accordingly he went over Jordon, and made use of thofe hot baths at Callirhoe which run into the lake Afphaltitis, but are themselves fweet enough to be drunk. And here the phyficians thought proper to bathe his whole body in warm oil, by letting it down into a large veffel 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 fervants, at their voice he revived again. Yet did he alter this defpair of recovery, and gave orders that each foldier fhould have fifty drachmæ apiece, and that his commanders and friends thould have great iums of money given them.

6. He then returned back and came to Jericho, in fuch a melancholy ftate of body as almoft threatened him with prefent death, when he proceeded to attempt an horrid wickednefs; for he got together the moft illuftrious men of the whole Jewith nation, out of every village, into a place called the Hippodrome, and there fhut them in. He then called for his fifter Salome, and her husband Alexas, and made this speech to them; "I know well enough that the Jews will keep a feftival upon my death; however it is in my power to be mourn ed for on other accounts, and to have a splendid funeral, if you will be but fubfervient to my commands. Do you but take care to fend foldiers to encompass thele men that are now in cuftody, and flay them immediately upon my death, and then all Judea, and every family of them, will weep at it whether they will or no."

7 Thefe were the commands he gave them; when there came letters from his ambaffadors at Rome, whereby information was given that Acme was put to death at Cæfar's command, and that Antipater was condemned to die; however, they wrote withal, that if Herod had a mind rather to banish him, Cæfar permitted him fo to do. So he for a little while revived and had a defire to live; but presently after he was overborne by his pains, and was difordered by want of food, and by a convulfive cough, and endeavoured to prevent a nat ural death; fo he took an apple, and asked for a knite, for he used to pare apples and eat them; he then looked round about to fee that there was no body to hinder him, and lift his right hand as if he would ftab himself; but Achiabus, his up first coufin came running to him, and held his hand and hindered him from fo doing; on which occafion a very great lamentation was made in the palace, as if the king were expiring. As foon as ever Antipater heard that he took courage, and with joy in his looks, befought his keepers for a fum of money, to loofe him and let him go; but the principal keeper of the prifon did only obftru&t him in that his intention, but ran and told the king what his defign was; hereupon the king cried out louder than his diftemper would well bear, and immediately fent fome of his guards and flew Antipater; he alfo gave order to have him buried at Hyrcanium, and altered his teffament again. and therein made Archelaus his eldelt fon, and the brother of Antipas, his fucceffor, and made Antipas tetrarch.

8. So Herod having furvived the flaughter of his fon five days, died, having reigned thirty-four years, fince he had caufed Antigonus to be flain, and obtained his kingdom; but thirty-feven years fince he had been made king by the Romans. Now as for his fortune, it was profperous in all other refpects, if ever any other man could be fo, fince, from a private man he obtained the kingdom, and kept it fo long, and left it to his own fons; but ftill in his domestic affairs, he was a most unfortunate man. Now before the foldiers knew of his death, Salome and her husband came out and difmiffed thofe that were in bonds, whom the king had commanded to be flain, and told them that he had altered his mind, and would have every one of them fent to their own homes. When these men were gone, Salome told the foldiers the king was dead, and got them and the rest of the multitude together to an asfembly, in the amphitheatre at Jericho where Ptolemy, who was intrufted by the king with his fignet-ring, came before them, and fpake of the happiness the king had attained, and comforted the multitude, and read the epiltle which had been. left for the foldiers, wherein he earneftly exhorted them to bear good-will to his fucceffor; and after he had read the epiftle, he opened and read his teftament, wherein Philip was to inherit Trachonitis, and the neighbouring countries, and

Antipas was to be tetrarch as was faid before, and Archelaus was made king. He had also been commanded to carry Herod's ring to Cæfar, and the settlements he had made fealed up, because Cæfar was to be lord of all the fettlements he had made, and was to confirm his teftament; and he ordered that the difpofitions he had made were to be kept as they were in his former teftament.

9. So there was an acclamation made to Archelaus, to congratulate him upon his advancement, and the foldiers with the multitude, went round about in troops, and promised him their good-will, and befides, prayed God to bless his government. After this they betook themfelves 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 ftones, 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 fceptre in his right hand; and near to the bier were Herod's fons, and a multitude of his kindred; next to which came his guards, and the regiment of Thracians, the Germans alfo and Galls, all accoutered as if they were going to war; but the reft of the army went foremost, armed, and following their captains and officers in a regular manner; after whom, five hundred of his domeftic fervants 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 fhall fuffice for the conclufion of the life of Herod.

BOOK II.

Containing the interval of fixty-nine years.

[From the death of HEROD till VESPASIAN was fent to subdue the Jews by NERO.

CHAP. I.

Archelaus makes a funeral Feaft for the People, on the account of Herod. After which a great Tunult is raised by the Multitude, and he fends the Soldiers out upon them, who Destroy about three Thousand of them.

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WOW the neceffity which Archelaus was under of taking a journey to Rome was the occafion of new difturbances; for when he had mourned for his father feven* days, and had given a very expenfive funeral feaft to the multitude, (which cuftom is the occafion of poverty to many of the Jews because they are forced to feaft the multitude; for if any one omits it, he is not efteemed an holy perfon), he put on a white garment and went up to the temple, where the people accofted him with various acclamations. He also spake kindly to the multitude from an elevated feat, and a throne of gold, and returned them thanks for the zeal they had fhewn about his father's funeral, and the fubmiffion they had made to him, as if he were already fettled in the kingdom; but he told them withal, that " he would not at prefent take upon him either the authority of a king, or the names thereto belonging, until Cæfar, who is made lord of this whole affair by this teflament confirm the fucceffion; for that when the foldiers would have fet the diadem on his head at Jericho, he would not accept of it; but that he would make abundant requitals, not to the foldiers only, but to the people for their

* Hear Dean Aldrich's note on this place, "The law, or custom of the Jews," fays he, "requires fever. days mourning for the dead, Antiq. B. XVII. ch. viii. lect. 4. Vol. IV. Whence the author of the book of Ecclefiafticus, ch. xxii. 12. alligns feven days, as the proper time of mourning for the dead, and ch. xxxviii. 17. enjoins men to mourn for the dead, that they may not be evil spoken of; for as Jo. fephus fays prefently, if any one omits this mourning [funeral feaft] he is not efteemed a holy perfon. Now it is certain, that fuch a feven days mourning has been customary from times of the greateft antiquity, Gen. I. 10. Funeral feats are alfo mentioned as of confiderable antiquity, Ezek. xxiv. 17. Jer. xvi. 7. Prov. xxxi. 6. Deut. xxvi 14 Jofephus, of the War, B. III. ch. ix. fect. 5. Vol. W.".

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