the antiquities of the jews-1-第232章

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BOOK　XV。

Containing　The　Interval　Of　Eighteen　Years。

From　The　Death　Of　Antigonus　To　The　Finishing　Of　The　Temple　By
Herod。

CHAPTER　1。

Concerning　Pollio　And　Sameas。　Herod　Slays　The　Principal　Of
Antigonus's　Friends；　And　Spoils　The　City　Of　Its　Wealth。　Antony
Beheads　Antigonus。

1。　How　Sosius　and　Herod　took　Jerusalem　by　force；　and　besides
that；　how　they　took　Antigonus　captive；　has　been　related　by　us　in
the　foregoing　book。　We　will　now　proceed　in　the　narration。　And
since　Herod　had　now　the　government　of　all　Judea　put　into　his
hands；　he　promoted　such　of　the　private　men　in　the　city　as　had
been　of　his　party；　but　never　left　off　avenging　and　punishing
every　day　those　that　had　chosen　to　be　of　the　party　of　his
enemies。　But　Pollio　the　Pharisee；　and　Sameas；　a　disciple　of　his；
were　honored　by　him　above　all　the　rest；　for　when　Jerusalem　was
besieged；　they　advised　the　citizens　to　receive　Herod；　for　which
advice　they　were　well　requited。　But　this　Pollio；　at　the　time　when
Herod　was　once　upon　his　trial　of　life　and　death；　foretold；　in　way
of　reproach；　to　Hyrcanus　and　the　other　judges；　how　this　Herod；
whom　they　suffered　now　to　escape；　would　afterward　inflict
punishment　on　them　all；　which　had　its　completion　in　time；　while
God　fulfilled　the　words　he　had　spoken。

2。　At　this　time　Herod；　now　he　had　got　Jerusalem　under　his　power；
carried　off　all　the　royal　ornaments；　and　spoiled　the　wealthy　men
of　what　they　had　gotten；　and　when；　by　these　means；　he　had　heaped
together　a　great　quantity　of　silver　and　gold；　he　gave　it　all　to
Antony；　and　his　friends　that　were　about　him。　He　also　slew
forty…five　of　the　principal　men　of　Antigonus's　party；　and　set
guards　at　the　gates　of　the　city；　that　nothing　might　be　carried
out　together　with　their　dead　bodies。　They　also　searched　the　dead；
and　whatsoever　was　found；　either　of　silver　or　gold；　or　other
treasure；　it　was　carried　to　the　king；　nor　was　there　any　end　of
the　miseries　he　brought　upon　them；　and　this　distress　was　in　part
occasioned　by　the　covetousness　of　the　prince　regent；　who　was
still　in　want　of　more；　and　in　part　by　the　Sabbatic　year；　which
was　still　going　on；　and　forced　the　country　to　lie　still
uncultivated；　since　we　are　forbidden　to　sow　our　land　in　that
year。　Now　when　Antony　had　received　Antigonus　as　his　captive；　he
determined　to　keep　him　against　his　triumph；　but　when　he　heard
that　the　nation　grew　seditious；　and　that；　out　of　their　hatred　to
Herod；　they　continued　to　bear　good…will　to　Antigonus；　he　resolved
to　behead　him　at　Antioch；　for　otherwise　the　Jews　could　no　way　be
brought　to　be　quiet。　And　Strabo　of　Cappadocia　attests　to　what　I
have　said；　when　he　thus　speaks：　〃Antony　ordered　Antigonus　the　Jew
to　be　brought　to　Antioch；　and　there　to　be　beheaded。　And　this
Antony　seems　to　me　to　have　been　the　very　first　man　who　beheaded　a
king；　as　supposing　he　could　no　other　way　bend　the　minds　of　the
Jews　so　as　to　receive　Herod；　whom　he　had　made　king　in　his　stead；
for　by　no　torments　could　they　he　forced　to　call　him　king；　so
great　a　fondness　they　had　for　their　former　king；　so　he　thought
that　this　dishonorable　death　would　diminish　the　value　they　had
for　Antigonus's　memory；　and　at　the　same　time　would　diminish　the
hatred　they　bare　to　Herod。〃　Thus　far　Strabo。

CHAPTER　2。

How　Hyrcanus　Was　Set　At　Liberty　By　The　Parthians；　And　Returned　To
Herod；　And　What　Alexandra　Did　When　She　Heard　That　Ananelus　Was
Made　High　Priest。

1。　Now　after　Herod　was　in　possession　of　the　kingdom；　Hyrcanus　the
high　priest；　who　was　then　a　captive　among　the　Parthians；　came　to
him　again；　and　was　set　free　from　his　captivity；　in　the　manner
following：　Barzapharnes　and　Pacorus；　the　generals　of　the
Parthians；　took　Hyreanus；　who　was　first　made　high　priest　and
afterward　king；　and　Herod's　brother；　Phasaelus　captives；　and　were
them　away　into　Parthis。　Phasaelus　indeed　could　not　bear　the
reproach　of　being　in　bonds；　and　thinking　that　death　with　glory
was　better　than　any　life　whatsoever；　he　became　his　own
executioner；　as　I　have　formerly　related。

2。　But　when　Hyrcanus　was　brought　into　Parthia　the　king　Phraates
treated　him　after　a　very　gentle　manner；　as　having　already　learned
of　what　an　illustrious　family　he　was；　on　which　account　he　set　him
free　from　his　bonds；　and　gave　him　a　habitation　at　Babylon；　（1）
where　there　were　Jews　in　great　numbers。　These　Jews　honored
Hyrcanus　as　their　high　priest　and　king；　as　did　all　the　Jewish
nation　that　dwelt　as　far　as　Euphrates；　which　respect　was　very
much　to　his　satisfaction。　But　when　he　was　informed　that　Herod　had
received　the　kingdom；　new　hopes　came　upon　him；　as　having　been
himself　still　of　a　kind　disposition　towards　him；　and　expecting
that　Herod　would　bear　in　mind　what　favor　be　had　received　from
him；　and　when　he　was　upon　his　trial；　and　when　he　was　in　danger
that　a　capital　sentence　would　be　pronounced　against　him；　he
delivered　him　from　that　danger；　and　from　all　punishment。
Accordingly；　he　talked　of　that　matter　with　the　Jew　that　came
often　to　him　with　great　affection；　but　they　endeavored　to　retain
him　among　them；　and　desired　that　he　would　stay　with　them；　putting
him　in　mind　of　the　kind　offices　and　honors　they　did　him；　and　that
those　honors　they　paid　him　were　not　at　all　inferior　to　what　they
could　pay　to　either　their　high　priests　or　their　kings；　and　what
was　a　greater　motive　to　determine　him；　they　said；　was　this；　that
he　could　not　have　those　dignities　＇in　Judea＇　because　of　that　maim
in　his　body；　which　had　been　inflicted　on　him　by　Antigonus；　and
that　kings　do　not　use　to　requite　men　for　those　kindnesses　which
they　received　when　they　were　private　persons；　the　height　of　their
fortune　making　usually　no　small　changes　in　them。

3。　Now　although　they　suggested　these　arguments　to　him　for　his　own
advantage；　yet　did　Hyrcanus　still　desire　to　depart。　Herod　also
wrote　to　him；　and　persuaded　him　to　desire　of　Phraates；　and　the
Jews　that　were　there；　that　they　should　not　grudge　him　the　royal
authority；　which　he　should　have　jointly　with　himself；　for　that
now　was　the　proper　time　for　himself　to　make　him　amends　for　the
favors　he　had　received　from　him；　as　having　been　brought　up　by
him；　and　saved　by　him　also；　as　well　as　for　Hyrcanus　to　receive
it。　And　as　he　wrote　thus　to　Hyrcanus；　so　did　he　send　also
Saramallas；　his　ambassador；　to　Phraates；　and　many　presents　with
him；　and　desired　him　in　the　most　obliging　way　that　he　would　be　no
hinderance　to　his　gratitude　towards　his　benefactor。　But　this　zeal
of　Herod's　did　not　flow　from　that　principle；　but　because　he　had
been　made　governor　of　that　country　without　having　any　just　claim
to　it；　he　was　afraid；　and　that　upon　reasons　good　enough；　of　a
change　in　his　condition；　and　so　made　what　haste　he　could　to　get
Hyrcanus　into　his　power；　or　indeed　to　put　him　quite　out　of　the
way；　which　last　thing　he　compassed　afterward。

4。　Accordingly；　when　Hyrcanus　came；　full　of　assurance；　by　the
permission　of　the　king　of　Parthia；　and　at　the　expense　of　the
Jews；　who　supplied　him　with　money；　Herod　received　him　with　all
possible　respect；　and　gave　him　the　upper　place　at　public
meetings；　and　set　him　above　all　the　rest　at　feasts；　and　thereby
deceived　him。　He　called　him　his　father；　and　endeavored；　by　all
the　ways　possible；　that　he　might　have　no　suspicion　of　any
treacherous　design　against　him。　He　also　did　other　things；　in
order　to　secure　his　government；　which　yet　occasioned　a　sedition
in　his　own　family；　for　being　cautious　how　he　made　any　illustrious
person　the　high　priest　of　God；　（2）　he　sent　for　an　obscure　priest
out　of　Babylon；　whose　name　was　Ananelus；　and　bestowed　the　high
priesthood　upon　him。

5。　However；　Alexandra；　the　daughter　of　Hyrcanus；　and　wife　of
Alexander；　the　son　of　Aristobulus　the　king；　who　had　also　brought
Alexander　＇two＇　children；　could　not　bear　this　indignity。　Now　this
son　was　one　of　the　greatest　comeliness；　and　was　called
Aristobulus；　and　the　daughter；　Mariamne；　was　married　to　Herod；
and　eminent　for　her　beauty　also。　This　Alexandra　was　much
disturbed；　and　took　this　indignity　offered　to　her　son　exceeding
ill；　that　while　be　was　alive；　any　one　else　should　be　sent　for　to
have　the　dignity　of　the　high　priesthood　conferred　upon　him。
Accordingly；　she　wrote　to　Cleopatra　（a　musician　assisting　her　in
taking　care　to　have　her　letters　c