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both his ears should be cut off, in order that he might be incapacitated from ever after becoming high-priest, no blemished, or maimed person, being deemed eligible to the pontifical dignity. See Levit. xxi. 18.

After the Parthians had placed Antigonus on the throne of Judea, they laid claim to the offers he had first made them for their assistance, namely, the thousand talents, and the five hundred fine women. The former of these Antigonus readily paid, but the latter he could not comply with, Herod having seized most of the fine women, and sent them away with his wife and family, to Massada. This defeat occasioned some disturbances, but at length the matter was settled to the satisfaction of both parties, and the greater body of the Parthians departed, taking with them Hyrcanus as their prisoner.

In the mean time, Herod so far from sinking under his misfortunes, seemed but the better disposed to encounter them. Having furnished the fortress of Massada with provisions for several months, he then left his mother, and the other women of quality whom he had taken with him from Jerusalem, under the care of a younger brother named Joseph, and proceeded to Petrea in Arabia, in hopes of procuring some assistance from Malchus, who had succeeded Aretas as king of that country.

At this time Herod was unacquainted with the death of his brother, and his principal view in going to the king of Arabia, was to obtain from him a sum of money for his ransom. He rested his expectations of success on the ancient friendship that had subsisted between the Arabians and his father Antipater, and proposed to resign the son of Phasael, who was then only seven years of age, as a security for the return of the money. But all his expectations proved abortive, for before he reached Petrea, he received a message from Malchus, desiring him immediately to depart his dominions, he being afraid, that should he receive him, it would give offence to his neighbors the Parthians.

Herod, having received this unworthy treatment from Malchus, after sending messengers to him with a severe reply, proceeded in his way to Egypt. In the evening of the first day he met with a number of people, who had

taken shelter in a castle in his way, and were friends to his interest; and the following day he arrived at Rinocorura, where he received the first information of the ill treatment of Hyrcanus, and the death of his brother Phasael.

In the mean time Malchus, being touched with remorse at his ill-treatment of Herod, dispatched messengers after him soliciting his return; but as he had by this time reached Pelusium, Malchus was sensible of his ingratitude too late to repair the injury.

The inhabitants of Pelusium refused Herod the liberty of embarking from that place, in consequence of which he applied to the magistrates of the town, who granting him permission to take what course he pleased, he set sail for Alexandria. Cleopatra, who was at this time there, and preparing for an important enterprize, gave him an honorable and magnificent reception, with a view of inducing him to accept of a military command in her service. But Herod was so desirous of proceeding to Rome, that the earnest entreaties of the queen, the extremity of the season, and the danger of the seas, were not sufficient to make him change his purpose. He accordingly left Alexandria, and, after a voyage of no small danger and difficulty, at length landed at Rhodes, where he found public affairs in a very embarrassed state. He was received here in a very generous and hospitable manner by two friends, named Saphinias and Ptolemy; and though he was greatly distressed for want of money, yet he procured a vessel to convey him to Brundusium, from whence he repaired, with all possible expedition, to Rome.

As soon as Herod arrived at Rome, he went immediately to Antony, whom he made'acquainted with the miserable state of his affairs in Judea, and at the same time earnestly intreated he would give him some assistance, that he might recover that right which himself had bestowed on him, and of which he had been unjustly and cruelly deprived by his enemies.

Antony, recollecting the former friendship that had subsisted with his father Antipater, and afterwards with him; and at the same time being exasperated against Antigonus, whom he always considered as an enemy to the Romans,

VOL. iii.

not only warmly espoused his cause himself, but engaged likewise Octavianus (who was afterwards called Augustus) so closely in his interest, that, by the help and influence of these two men, the Senate unanimously decreed that Herod should be king of Judea, and that Antigonus. should be declared an enemy to the commonwealth.

Herod, having in the short space of seven days dispatched his affairs thus prosperously, left Rome, and landing at Ptolemais, began to raise forces with a design to march against Antigonus, who, almost ever since his departure, had been besieging the fortress of Massada. With these, and such Roman auxiliaries as he received from Ventidius, Antony's general, and Silo, his lieutenant in Palestine, he soon made himself master of the greatest part of the country, took Joppa, relieved Massada, and, taking the castle of Ressa in his way, marched directly to Jerusalem, and encamped his forces on the west side of the city.

Antigonus had provided the place with all kinds of warlike ammunition, and had likewise got a good garrison, who, with darts and stones from the walls, together with flying parties frequently making excursions, greatly annoyed Herod's army. Herod, in hopes of making easy work of it, caused an herald to make proclamation round the walls of the city, setting forth that he had no other view in the present expedition, but the security of the city, and the general welfare of the people, at the same time promising an act of indemnity to all who would quietly submit. Antigonus, on the contrary, directing himself to Silo, and the Romans, complained of the injustice they did him, in transferring the sovereignty of Judea from him, who was of royal descent, to a Plebeian, and half a Jew, as Herod was; and from these, and such like reproaches on both sides, they came at length to acts of open hostility, in which Antigonus and his men behaved so valiantly, that they soon drove the assailants from the walls, and they were obliged to retreat some distance from Jerusalem.

Ventidius, indeed, had left his lieutenant Silo in Judea, to assist Herod in the reduction of Jerusalem; but in his manner of managing the war (which was to get sums from

Herod to promote his interest, and greater from Antigonus to hinder it) he did more harm than good. He not only took all the measures he could project to drain the coffers of Herod, but likewise encouraged his soldiers to mutiny, on pretence of the want of forage and provisions, more commodious quarters, and better pay. These seeming inconveniences and obstacles gave great uneasiness to Herod, who thought it prudent to apply, not only to Silo's officers, but likewise the common soldiers, being fearful lest a general revolt should take place, and his expedition, instead of being attended with success, should prove destructive to him and his adherents. He accordingly represented to them that he had received his commission from Cæsar, Antony and the senate, and requested that they would wait with patience one day, and all their demands should be satisfied. He then gave orders for supplies of provisions, which were immdiately sent to the people in great abundance; and in order to guard against a scarcity in future, he wrote for cattle, corn, oil, wine, and other necessaries to be sent from Samaria, which was then under his protection. But notwithstanding all this he found some inconveniences from the treachery of Silo, who giving notice to Antigonus of all that passed, he, with flying parties and ambuscades, frequently intercepted and cut off the convoys that were designed for the united army.

Herod, unwilling to remain inactive, and finding it impossible, at least at present, to possess himself of Jerusalem, left the main army, and, with five companies of Romans, five of Jews, and a small party of horse, proceeded towards Jericho. On his arrival there he found the city entirely abandoned, and that five hundred of the inhabitants, with their wives and families, had sought refuge among the mountains. After stationing a garrison in the town, he marched with his forces into Galilee, and recovered all those places which had been taken by Antigonus. He then employed himself for some time in ridding that part of the country of those gangs of thieves*

* These thieves had so sheltered themselves in the caves and holes of the mountains, that it was no easy matter to come at them,

and banditti with which it had been long infested, to the great satisfaction and tranquility of the inhabitants.

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When Herod returned to the main part of his army he renewed the siege of Jerusalem, but perceiving the Roman generals were very cool in his interest, he resolved go again to Antony (who was then besieging Samosata, a city upon the Euphrates) in orderto make a representation of their behavior. During his absence he left his brother Joseph to command in Judea, giving him strict orders not to put any thing to the hazard, or engage in any enterprize, till he should return. But Joseph, disregarding his brother's orders, marched his own troops, with five companies of horse, towards Jericho, where a party of Antigonus's forces were encamped. This proved fatal to Joseph, who being surrounded by the enemy, he was slain himself, and most of his forces cut to pieces; which gave those who were disaffected to Herod, both in Galilee and Idumea, an opportunity of revolting.

In the mean time Herod was making the best of his way to Antony, who no sooner heard of his approach than he drew out his army to receive him, and, during his stay, shewed him all the marks of friendship and esteem. He would willingly have assisted him in person, had he not at this time made an engagement to pay a visit to

because the steepness and cragginess of the mountains made it almost impossible, either to scale them from below, or from above to get down to them by any passage; and therefore (to ferret them out of their dens) Herod bethought himself of the following expedient. He caused several large cases, or chests of wood, to be made, and filling them with soldiers, let them down into the entrances of the caves by chains from engines he had fixed above; by which means he either destroyed all that lurked in them, or else reduced them to terms of submission,

Josephus tells us, that Herod, being desirous that some of the robbers should be saved, ordered a herald to make proclamation that the lives of those who surrendered should be preserved; but that they all rejected the offer, and that even those who were made prisoners, preferring death to the loss of liberty, put an end to their lives. He farther says, that the wife and seven sons of an aged man having entreated his permission to surrender themselves to the enemy, the old man complied, and that as they approached him, one by one, at the entrance of the cave, he put them all to death. That Herod beheld this shocking scene, and being greatly affected, he en

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