the antiquities of the jews-1-第227章

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CHAPTER　14。

How　Herod　Got　Away　From　The　King　Of　Arabia　And　Made　Haste　To　Go
Into　Egypt　And　Thence　Went　Away　In　Haste　Also　To　Rome；　And　How；
By　Promising　A　Great　Deal　Of　Money　To　Antony　He　Obtained　Of　The
Senate　And　Of　Caesar　To　Be　Made　King　Of　The　Jews。

1。　As　for　Herod；　the　great　miseries　he　was　in　did　not　discourage
him；　but　made　him　sharp　in　discovering　surprising　undertakings；
for　he　went　to　Malchus；　king　of　Arabia；　whom　he　had　formerly　been
very　kind　to；　in　order　to　receive　somewhat　by　way　of　requital；
now　he　was　in　more　than　ordinary　want　of　it；　and　desired　he　would
let　him　have　some　money；　either　by　way　of　loan；　or　as　his　free
gift；　on　account　of　the　many　benefits　he　had　received　from　him；
for　not　knowing　what　was　become　of　his　brother；　he　was　in　haste
to　redeem　him　out　of　the　hand　of　his　enemies；　as　willing　to　give
three　hundred　talents　for　the　price　of　his　redemption。　He　also
took　with　him　the　son　of　Phasaelus；　who　was　a　child　of　but　seven
years　of　age；　for　this　very　reason；　that　he　might　be　a　hostage
for　the　repayment　of　the　money。　But　there　came　messengers　from
Malchus　to　meet　him；　by　whom　he　was　desired　to　be　gone；　for　that
the　Parthians　had　laid　a　charge　upon　him　not　to　entertain　Herod。
This　was　only　a　pretense　which　he　made　use　of；　that　he　might　not
be　obliged　to　repay　him　what　he　owed　him；　and　this　he　was　further
induced　to　by　the　principal　men　among　the　Arabians；　that　they
might　cheat　him　of　what　sums　they　had　received　from　＇his　father＇
Antipater；　and　which　he　had　committed　to　their　fidelity。　He　made
answer；　that　he　did　not　intend　to　be　troublesome　to　them　by　his
coning　thither；　but　that　he　desired　only　to　discourse　with　them
about　certain　affairs　that　were　to　him　of　the　greatest
importance。

2。　Hereupon　he　resolved　to　go　away；　and　did　go　very　prudently　the
road　to　Egypt；　and　then　it　was　that　he　lodged　in　a　certain
temple；　for　he　had　left　a　great　many　of　his　followers　there。　On
the　next　day　he　came　to　Rhinocolura；　and　there　it　was　that　he
heard　what　was　befallen　his　brother。　Though　Malehus　soon　repented
of　what　he　had　done；　and　came　running　after　Herod；　but　with　no
manner　of　success；　for　he　was　gotten　a　very　great　way　off；　and
made　haste　into　the　road　to　Pelusium；　and　when　the　stationary
ships　that　lay　there　hindered　him　from　sailing　to　Alexandria；　he
went　to　their　captains；　by　whose　assistance；　and　that　out　of　much
reverence　of　and　great　regard　to　him；　he　was　conducted　into　the
city　＇Alexandria＇；　and　was　retained　there　by　Cleopatra；　yet　was
she　not　able　to　prevail　with　him　to　stay　there；　because　he　was
making　haste　to　Rome；　even　though　the　weather　was　stormy；　and　he
was　informed　that　the　affairs　of　Italy　were　very　tumultuous；　and
in　great　disorder。

3。　So　he　set　sail　from　thence　to　Pamphylia；　and　falling　into　a
violent　storm；　he　had　much　ado　to　escape　to　Rhodes；　with　the　loss
of　the　ship's　burden；　and　there　it　was　that　two　of　his　friends；
Sappinas　and　Ptolemeus；　met　with　him；　and　as　he　found　that　city
very　much　damaged　in　the　war　against　Cassius；　though　he　were　in
necessity　himself；　he　neglected　not　to　do　it　a　kindness；　but　did
what　he　could　to　recover　it　to　its　former　state。　He　also　built
there　a　three…decked　ship；　and　set　sail　thence；　with　his　friends；
for　Italy；　and　came　to　the　port　of　Brundusium；　and　when　he　was
come　from　thence　to　Rome；　he　first　related　to　Antony　what　had
befallen　him　in　Judea；　and　how　Phasaelus　his　brother　was　seized
on　by　the　Parthians；　and　put　to　death　by　them；　and　how　Hyrcanus
was　detained　captive　by　them；　and　how　they　had　made　Antigonus
king；　who　had　promised　them　a　sum　of　money；　no　less　than　a
thousand　talents；　with　five　hundred　women；　who　were　to　be　of　the
principal　families；　and　of　the　Jewish　stock；　and　that　he　had
carried　off　the　women　by　night；　and　that；　by　undergoing　a　great
many　hardships；　he　had　escaped　the　hands　of　his　enemies；　as　also；
that　his　own　relations　were　in　danger　of　being　besieged　and
taken；　and　that　he　had　sailed　through　a　storm；　and　contemned　all
these　terrible　dangers　of　it；　in　order　to　come；　as　soon　as
possible；　to　him；　who　was　his　hope　and　only　succor　at　this　time。

4。　This　account　made　Antony　commiserate　the　change　that　had
happened　in　Herod's　condition；　（26）　and　reasoning　with　himself
that　this　was　a　common　case　among　those　that　are　placed　in　such
great　dignities；　and　that　they　are　liable　to　the　mutations　that
come　from　fortune；　he　was　very　ready　to　give　him　the　assistance
he　desired；　and　this　because　he　called　to　mind　the　friendship　he
had　had　with　Antipater　because　Herod　offered　him　money　to　make
him　king；　as　he　had　formerly　given　it　him　to　make　him　tetrarch；
and　chiefly　because　of　his　hatred　to　Antigonus；　for　he　took　him
to　be　a　seditious　person；　and　an　enemy　to　the　Romans。　Caesar　was
also　the　forwarder　to　raise　Herod's　dignity；　and　to　give　him　his
assistance　in　what　he　desired；　on　account　of　the　toils　of　war
which　he　had　himself　undergone　with　Antipater　his　father　in
Egypt；　and　of　the　hospitality　he　had　treated　him　withal；　and　the
kindness　he　had　always　showed　him；　as　also　to　gratify　Antony；　who
was　very　zealous　for　Herod。　So　a　senate　was　convocated；　and
Messala　first；　and　then　Atratinus；　introduced　Herod　into　it；　and
enlarged　upon　the　benefits　they　had　received　from　his　father；　and
put　them　in　mind　of　the　good…will　he　had　borne　to　the　Romans。　At
the　same　time；　they　accused　Antigonus；　and　declared　him　an　enemy；
not　only　because　of　his　former　opposition　to　them；　but　that　he
had　now　overlooked　the　Romans；　and　taken　the　government　from　the
Parthians。　Upon　this　the　senate　was　irritated；　and　Antony
informed　them　further；　that　it　was　for　their　advantage　in　the
Parthian　war　that　Herod　should　be　king。　This　seemed　good　to　all
the　senators；　and　so　they　made　a　decree　accordingly。

5。　And　this　was　the　principal　instance　of　Antony's　affection　for
Herod；　that　he　not　only　procured　him　a　kingdom　which　he　did　not
expect；　（for　he　did　not　come　with　an　intention　to　ask　the　kingdom
for　himself；　which　he　did　not　suppose　the　Romans　would　grant　him；
who　used　to　bestow　it　on　some　of　the　royal　family；　but　intended
to　desire　it　for　his　wife's　brother；　who　was　grandson　by　his
father　to　Aristobulus；　and　to　Hyrcanus　by　his　mother；）　but　that
he　procured　it　for　him　so　suddenly；　that　he　obtained　what　he　did
not　expect；　and　departed　out　of　Italy　in　so　few　days　as　seven　in
all。　This　young　man　＇the　grandson＇　Herod　afterward　took　care　to
have　slain；　as　we　shall　show　in　its　proper　place。　But　when　the
senate　was　dissolved；　Antony　and　Caesar　went　out　of　the　senate
house　with　Herod　between　them；　and　with　the　consuls　and　other
magistrates　before　them；　in　order　to　offer　sacrifices；　and　to　lay
up　their　decrees　in　the　capitol。　Antony　also　feasted　Herod　the
first　day　of　his　reign。　And　thus　did　this　man　receive　the
kingdom；　having　obtained　it　on　the　hundred　and　eighty…fourth
olympiad；　when　Caius　Domitius　Calvinus　was　consul　the　second
time；　and　Caius　Asinius　Pollio　＇the　first　time＇。

6。　All　this　while　Antigonus　besieged　those　that　were　in　Masada；
who　had　plenty　of　all　other　necessaries；　but　were　only　in　want　of
water　（27）　insomuch　that　on　this　occasion　Joseph；　Herod's
brother；　was　contriving　to　run　away　from　it；　with　two　hundred　of
his　dependents；　to　the　Arabians；　for　he　had　heard　that　Malchus
repented　of　the　offenses　he　had　been　guilty　of　with　regard　to
Herod；　but　God；　by　sending　rain　in　the　night　time；　prevented　his
going　away；　for　their　cisterns　were　thereby　filled；　and　he　was
under　no　necessity　of　running　away　on　that　account；　but　they　were
now　of　good　courage；　and　the　more　so；　because　the　sending　that
plenty　of　water　which　they　had　been　in　want　of　seemed　a　mark　of
Divine　Providence；　so　they　made　a　sally；　and　fought　hand　to　hand
with　Antigonus's　soldiers；　（with　some　openly；　with　some
privately；）　and　destroyed　a　great　number　of　them。　At　the　same
time　Ventidius；　the　general　of　the　Romans；　was　sent　out　of　Syria；
to　drive　the　Parthians　out　of　it；　and　marched　after　them　into
Judea；　in　pretense　indeed　to　succor　Joseph；　but　in　reality　the
whole　affair　was　no　more　than　a　stratagem；　in　order　to　get　money
of　Antigonus；　so　they　pitched　their　camp　very　near　to　Jerusalem；
and　s