caufing his ears to be cut off. As for Phafael, he eafily Hyrcan's forefaw that he could not escape fome cruel death; but, ears cut being bound with chains, and unable to kill himself by off, and any other way, he knocked his brains out against a ftone. kills himPhafael The Parthians, having thus far performed their contract Self with Antigonus, began their march homeward, and took the unfortunate high-prieft with them, to prevent any fresh tumults upon his account *. By that time Herod had removed from Rhinocorura to Herod's Pelufium, he received a meffage from the Arabian king, fuccefs at who was now afhamed of his bafenefs, with an apology, Rome. and new offers of his fervice; but he rejected them, and would have embarked for Rome, had not the failors obftinately refused to take him in : whereupon he applied to the magiftrates of the city, who received him with great honour, and provided him another fhip (K). On his arrival at Rome, he addreffed himself first to Antony, and then to Octavius, to whom he related all that had happened in Judæa, with the defperate condition of his affairs; and partly by his intreaties, and reminding them of his father's friendship to Julius Cæfar, partly by the promise of a large fum of money, fo worked upon them, that they refolved to affift him to the utmost of their power. Antony, on ac- M. Anto¬ count of the old kindneffes of Antipater, performed more ny's kindthan Herod expected, or even defired. The utmost of his nefs to him. aim was, to have had Ariftobulus, the brother of his beloved Mariamne, fettled on the throne, and himself placed at the head of the Jewish affairs under him, as his father had been under Hyrcan; whereas the triumvirs actually refolved to procure him the crown. The fenate was accordingly convened, and Herod intro- Created duced to them by Meffala and Atratinus, two noble fena- king of Judaa; tors, who set forth the great fervices of Antipater's family to the Romans; reprefenting Antigonus as a turbulent and feditious perfon, and a known enemy to their nation. w See Levit. xxi. 16, & feq. Jud. lib. i. cap. 11. (K) During his ftay in Egypt, he was folicited by Cleopatra to continue there longer. The Maccabitish book, often quoted, adds, that the offered to make him her prime minifter, and general of all her forces; but that he was fully bent upon going to Rome with all speed; × Antiq. lib. xiv. cap. 25. Bell. and, getting on board a vessel, came at Antony and crowned. Antony obferved, how advantageous it would be to his expedition against Parthia, to have such a stedfast friend as Herod to be king of Judæa; upon which he was unanimoufly chofen by the fenate, and Antigonus voted an enemy. As foon as the decree was paffed, Herod was conducted with great ceremony into the Capitol, Octavius and Antony marching on each fide of him, accompanied by the confuls and fenators; where, after the usual facrifices, the decree was depofited among the archives, after which ceremony, Antony gave them a magnificent entertainment. Thus Herod became king of Judæa, by the friendship and intereft of Antony and Octavius, in the confulfhip of C. Domitius Calvinus, and C. Afinius Pollio. The condition in which he had left his affairs in Judæa, and his family in Idumæa, not permitting him to stay longer than seven days after his inauguration, he fet out again for Brundufium, and failed from thence to Ptole mais, where he landed about the latter end of the fummer; fo that he spent but three months in this expedition", Majada While he was thus fuccessful at Rome, Antigonus had befieged by fo clofely befieged the fortress of Maffada, that though it Antigonus. was well provided with all other neceffaries, yet the gar rifon were much diftreffed for want of water; infomuch that Jofeph, who commanded there, was contriving means to make a defperate fally, and to break through the befiegers, in order to escape into Arabia, to procure fresh fuccour from Malchus, who was highly afhamed of his late treatment of Herod. But, happily for him, the very night he intended to fally out, there fell fuch a heavy rain, as filled all their çifterns; fo that he thought of nothing now but how to make a brave defence, till his brother came to his relief. In the mean time Ventidius, the Roman general in Syria, having driven the Parthians out of that province, came and encamped in the neighbourhood of Jerufalem, under pretence of relieving Maffada, but, in reality, to extort money from Antigonus; for, as foon as this laft had fatisfied his avarice with a large fum, he marched away, leaving, for formality's fake, some part of his men with Silo, a penfioner, whom Antigonus had been forced to gain by dint of money, till he could get himfelf ftrengthened by the Parthians, whofe affiftance he was ftill in hopes of obtaining. Ventidius outavits him. Mariam ne's cha. racter. Herod, on the other hand, was not idle; his thoughts were wholly bent on relieving his diftreffed family, but y Antiq. ibid. cap. 26, 27. Bell, Jud. ubi fupra, cap. 12. efpecially especially his beloved Mariamne, a princefs who was indeed very well worth all his care and concern, whether we confider her as defcended from a long feries of kings and high-priests, or a person of exalted virtue and merit, adorned with the most endearing charms of body and of mind. As foon therefore as he was arrived at Ptolemais, Herod he got an army together of Jewish and other troops, which marches ahis generofity still increased as faft as he went, infomuch, gainft Anthat a very little time had brought almost the whole protigonus, vince of Galilee into his intereft. At the fame time his friend Antony fent orders by Dellius to Ventidius, to assist him with all his forces; fo that he was now ftrong enough. to march against Antigonus, and to relieve Maffada. He takes Fopftopped, however, to lay fiege to Joppa, a place of too pa, great importance to be left behind in the hands of the enemy. Silo took this opportunity to withdraw his forces, and was like to have paid dear for his desertion: for Antigonus fell upon him, and would have infallibly defeated him, had not Herod come to his refcue. Joppa having soon after surrendered, he marched directly to relieve his befieged friends; and, notwithstanding the many ambushes which Antigonus laid in his way, with the treachery of Silo, who extorted money from both fides, and did all he could to obftruct, instead of affifting him, he reached Maffada, forced the enemy to raife the fiege, and was joyfully received by all his family 2. By this time Herod's army was greatly increased, not Majada. only by the garrifon of Maffada, but by other reinforcements, which came voluntarily from other parts, and gainft feenabled him to form the fiege of Jerufalem. He took rufalem; Rheffa in his way, and being come before the metro- proclaims polis, caufed a general amnefty to be proclaimed, exa general tending to all that had joined with Antigonus, provided they should come over to him within a limited time. Antigonus addreffing himself to Silo, and the rest of the Roman foldiers, who were come to affift Herod in the fiege, obferved, "That it was a fhameful injuftice in the fe- Antigonus's nate, to fet a private person on the throne, who was an answer to Idumæan, or half Jew, contrary to the Jewish laws and right of fucceffion; that if they refented his receiving the crown from the Parthians, there were ftill enough left of the royal and facerdotal race, who had deferved, to the full, as well of the Romans as Herod, and on whom they might more justly bestow the royal dignity." The contest Antiq. ibid. cap. xxvi, xxvii. Bell, Jud. ubi fupra, cap. xii. between and re lieves Herod marches a amnefty. it. A mutiny fomented by Silo, Jericho plundered by the Ro mans. into Idu maa. Sephoris taken by Herod. The ban ditti in between the two rivals rofe at length to fuch a height, that Antigonus caufed fome volleys of arrows to be shot upon the enemy, and forced them to retire. Here arofe a fresh mutiny, supposed to have been underhand encouraged by Silo; his foldiers complaining aloud of the want of money and provifions, and demanding better quarters: Herod was forced to fend out for fresh supplies, which came afterwards in fuch plenty, that there was not the leaft pretence left for a revolt. The city of Jericho, however, fell a facrifice to the Roman avarice; they plundered it of all its riches, which amounted to an immense value. Then Herod was forced to fend them into winter quarters in Samaria, Idumæa, and Galilee, whilft Antigonus obtained of Silo, as a great favour, that part of the Roman army might be fent into Lydda, which ftill held out for his intereft ". The feafon, by this time, being too far advanced to begin the fiege of Jerufalem, Herod fent his brother Jofeph fent Jofeph into Idumæa with a thousand foot and four hundred horfe, whilft he himself went and fecured his family in the city of Samaria. He afterwards took fome fortreffes in Galilee from Antigonus, and among others that of Sephoris, which had been abandoned by the garrison. From thence he fent a detachment into the territories of Arbela, which was infefted with banditti; but as thofe troops could not drive them from their lurking-places, he marched against them with his whole army, and was as boldly encountered by their whole force. An obftinate fight enfued, in which his left wing began to give way ; but he came fo timely to their aid, that he gained a complete victory; by which he became mafter of all Galilee, except thofe rocky parts into which the defeated banditti retired. He rewarded his troops with a donative of a hundred and fifty drachms to each private man, and fo proportionably to those a higher rank, and then sent them into winter-quarters. Silo left him foon after to follow Ventidius into Parthia; and Herod, who could hardly ftay for the return of the spring, to put himself in action, refolved, if poffible, to rid himself and the country of those barbar ous freebooters. Galilee totally defeated; their gangs deftroyed. When he thought he had pretty near reduced their gang, he left the country under the command of Ptolemy, at the head of as many forces as he thought would fuffice to keep it in awe; and took the route to Samaria, where 2 Antiq. ubi supra, in fin. cap. xiii. Bell. Jud. ubi fupra. he rally a fresh, he had left his family, with a determination either to begin the fiege of Jerufalem, or bring Antigonus to a battle. He was no fooner gone, but those whom he had Banditti lately driven over Jordan, repaffed that river, flew Ptolemy, and ravaged the country afresh; fo that he was obliged to return with fresh forces, with which he fo effectually destroyed them, and their lurking-places, and fined thofe towns fo feverely, which had given them either fhelter or relief, that he quite freed the province of that deftructive vermin. and effec tually de ftroyed. ill treat ment of Macheras; The Parthians having been defeated by Ventidius, that general, by order of Antony, fent Macheras, with two legions and a thousand horse, to affift Herod in his war against Antigonus; but this last having gained him over by a large fum, Macheras would needs march towards him, under pretence of examining the strength of the place. Herod, having in vain tried to diffaude him from it, began to fufpect him of fome treachery; but held his peace for the prefent, But Antigonus, feeing the Ro- Antigonus's mans draw near the walls of Jerufalem, conceived fuch a jealoufy of them, that he caused his men to let fly fome vollies of arrows and stones against them, which fo exasperated Macheras, that he returned to Emmaus, and turned his his refentarms against the Jews, flaying indifcriminately all that fell ment; in his way, and among them a number of Herod's friends. Herod threatened to prefer his complaints to Antony in perfon, who was then employed in the fiege of Samofata; but Machæras prevailed upon him to be reconciled, reconcileand to leave his brother Jofeph, and a number of forces ment with Herod. with him, to carry on the war during his abfence; on this condition, however, that they should undertake nothing that was hazardous till his return. Herod, at his Herod goes arrival before Samofata, was received with all the marks to M An of honour and esteem by the Roman triumvir, and did tony's him many gallant fervices at that fiege: in requital of camp. which, when the city was taken, Antony left Sofus governor of Syria, with the command of the Roman forces, and orders to affift Herod with them whenever he fhould require his aid. Herod, on his return, found his affairs ftrangely altered for the worfe: his brother Jofeph, contrary to orders, had made an incurfion against Jericho with his own troops, and five legions, which he received from Machæras; but the Roman horfe, being unfit for fuch rocky ground as Jofeph. Antiq. ibid. he |