sent　away　the　most　cumbersome　part　of　his　retinue；　that　they　might　go　into　Idumea；　and　gave　them　provisions　for　their　journey；　but　he　got　safe　to　the　fortress　with　his　nearest　relations；　and　retained　with　him　only　the　stoutest　of　his　followers；　and　there　it　was　that　he　left　eight　hundred　of　his　men　as　a　guard　for　the　women；　and　provisions　sufficient　for　a　siege；　but　he　made　haste　himself　to　Petra　of　Arabia。
  9。　As　for　the　Parthians　in　Jerusalem；　they　betook　themselves　to　plundering；　and　fell　upon　the　houses　of　those　that　were　fled；　and　upon　the　king's　palace；　and　spared　nothing　but　Hyrcanus's　money；　which　was　not　above　three　hundred　talents。　They　lighted　on　other　men's　money　also；　but　not　so　much　as　they　hoped　for；　for　Herod　having　a　long　while　had　a　suspicion　of　the　perfidiousness　of　the　barbarians；　had　taken　care　to　have　what　was　most　splendid　among　his　treasures　conveyed　into　Idumea；　as　every　one　belonging　to　him　had　in　like　manner　done　also。　But　the　Parthians　proceeded　to　that　degree　of　injustice；　as　to　fill　all　the　country　with　war　without　denouncing　it；　and　to　demolish　the　city　Marissa；　and　not　only　to　set　up　Antigonus　for　king；　but　to　deliver　Phasaelus　and　Hyrcanus　bound　into　his。　hands；　in　order　to　their　being　tormented　by　him。　Antigonus　himself　also　bit　off　Hyrcanus's　ears　with　his　own　teeth；　as　he　fell　down　upon　his　knees　to　him；　that　so　he　might　never　be　able　upon　any　mutation　of　affairs　to　take　the　high　priesthood　again；　for　the　high　priests　that　officiated　were　to　be　complete；　and　without　blemish。
  10。　However；　he　failed　in　his　purpose　of　abusing　Phasaelus；　by　reason　of　his　courage；　for　though　he　neither　had　the　command　of　his　sword　nor　of　his　hands；　he　prevented　all　abuses　by　dashing　his　head　against　a　stone；　so　he　demonstrated　himself　to　be　Herod's　own　brother；　and　Hyrcanus　a　most　degenerate　relation；　and　died　with　great　bravery；　and　made　the　end　of　his　life　agreeable　to　the　actions　of　it。　There　is　also　another　report　about　his　end；　viz。　that　he　recovered　of　that　stroke；　and　that　a　surgeon；　who　was　sent　by　Antigonus　to　heal　him；　filled　the　wound　with　poisonous　ingredients；　and　so　killed　him；　whichsoever　of　these　deaths　he　came　to；　the　beginning　of　it　was　glorious。　It　is　also　reported　that　before　he　expired　he　was　informed　by　a　certain　poor　woman　how　Herod　had　escaped　out　of　their　hands；　and　that　he　said　thereupon；　〃I　now　die　with　comfort；　since　I　leave　behind　me　one　alive　that　will　avenge　me　of　mine　enemies。〃
  11。　This　was　the　death　of　Phasaelus；　but　the　Parthians；　although　they　had　failed　of　the　women　they　chiefly　desired；　yet　did　they　put　the　government　of　Jerusalem　into　the　hands　of　Antigonus；　and　took　away　Hyrcanus；　and　bound　him；　and　carried　him　to　Parthia。　　CHAPTER　14。
  When　Herod　Is　Rejected　In　Arabia；　He　Makes　Haste　To　Rome　Where　Antony　And　Caesar　Join　Their　Interest　To　Make　Him　King　。
  1。　Now　Herod　did　the　more　zealously　pursue　his　journey　into　Arabia；　as　making　haste　to　get　money　of　the　king；　while　his　brother　was　yet　alive；　by　which　money　alone　it　was　that　he　hoped　to　prevail　upon　the　covetous　temper　of　the　barbarians　to　spare　Phasaelus；　for　he　reasoned　thus　with　himself；：　…　that　if　the　Arabian　king　was　too　forgetful　of　his　father's　friendship　with　him；　and　was　too　covetous　to　make　him　a　free　gift；　he　would　however　borrow　of　him　as　much　as　might　redeem　his　brother；　and　put　into　his　hands；　as　a　pledge；　the　son　of　him　that　was　to　be　redeemed。　Accordingly　he　led　his　brother's　son　along　with　him；　who　was　of　the　age　of　seven　years。　Now　he　was　ready　to　give　three　hundred　talents　for　his　brother；　and　intended　to　desire　the　intercession　of　the　Tyrians；　to　get　them　accepted；　however；　fate　had　been　too　quick　for　his　diligence；　and　since　Phasaelus　was　dead；　Herod's　brotherly　love　was　now　in　vain。　Moreover；　he　was　not　able　to　find　any　lasting　friendship　among　the　Arabians；　for　their　king；　Malichus；　sent　to　him　immediately；　and　commanded　him　to　return　back　out　of　his　country；　and　used　the　name　of　the　Parthians　as　a　pretense　for　so　doing；　as　though　these　had　denounced　to　him　by　their　ambassadors　to　cast　Herod　out　of　Arabia；　while　in　reality　they　had　a　mind　to　keep　back　what　they　owed　to　Antipater；　and　not　be　obliged　to　make　requitals　to　his　sons　for　the　free　gifts　the　father　had　made　them。　He　also　took　the　impudent　advice　of　those　who；　equally　with　himself；　were　willing　to　deprive　Herod　of　what　Antipater　had　deposited　among　them；　and　these　men　were　the　most　potent　of　all　whom　he　had　in　his　kingdom。
  2。　So　when　Herod　had　found　that　the　Arabians　were　his　enemies；　and　this　for　those　very　reasons　whence　he　hoped　they　would　have　been　the　most　friendly；　and　had　given　them　such　an　answer　as　his　passion　suggested；　he　returned　back；　and　went　for　Egypt。　Now　he　lodged　the　first　evening　at　one　of　the　temples　of　that　country；　in　order　to　meet　with　those　whom　he　left　behind；　but　on　the　next　day　word　was　brought　him；　as　he　was　going　to　Rhinocurura；　that　his　brother　was　dead；　and　how　he　came　by　his　death；　and　when　he　had　lamented　him　as　much　as　his　present　circumstances　could　bear；　he　soon　laid　aside　such　cares；　and　proceeded　on　his　journey。　But　now；　after　some　time；　the　king　of　Arabia　repented　of　what　he　had　done；　and　sent　presently　away　messengers　to　call　him　back：　Herod　had　prevented　them；　and　was　come　to　Pelusium；　where　he　could　not　obtain　a　passage　from　those　that　lay　with　the　fleet；　so　he　besought　their　captains　to　let　him　go　by　them；　accordingly；　out　of　the　reverence　they　bore　to　the　fame　and　dignity　of　the　man；　they　conducted　him　to　Alexandria；　and　when　he　came　into　the　city；　he　was　received　by　Cleopatra　with　great　splendor；　who　hoped　he　might　be　persuaded　to　be　commander　of　her　forces　in　the　expedition　she　was　now　about；　but　he　rejected　the　queen's　solicitations；　and　being　neither　aftrighted　at　the　height　of　that　storm　which。　then　happened；　nor　at　the　tumults　that　were　now　in　Italy；　he　sailed　for　Rome。
  3。　But　as　he　was　in　peril　about　Pamphylia；　and　obliged　to　cast　out　the　greatest　part　of　the　ship's　lading；　he　with　difficulty　got　safe　to　Rhodes；　a　place　which　had　been　grievously　harassed　in　the　war　with　Cassius。　He　was　there　received　by　his　friends；　Ptolemy　and　Sappinius；　and　although　he　was　then　in　want　of　money；　he　fitted　up　a　three…decked　ship　of　very　great　magnitude；　wherein　he　and　his　friends　sailed　to　Brundusium；　（21）　and　went　thence　to　Rome　with　all　speed；　where　he　first　of　all　went　to　Antony；　on　account　of　the　friendship　his　father　had　with　him；　and　laid　before　him　the　calamities　of　himself　and　his　family；　and　that　he　had　left　his　nearest　relations　besieged　in　a　fortress；　and　had　sailed　to　him　through　a　storm；　to　make　supplication　to　him　for　assistance。
  4。　Hereupon　Antony　was　moved　to　compassion　at　the　change　that　had　been　made　in　Herod's　affairs；　and　this　both　upon　his　calling　to　mind　how　hospitably　he　had　been　treated　by　Antipater；　but　more　especially　on　account　of　Herod's　own　virtue；　so　he　then　resolved　to　get　him　made　king　of　the　Jews；　whom　he　had　himself　formerly　made　tetrarch。　The　contest　also　that　he　had　with　Antigonus　was　another　inducement；　and　that　of　no　less　weight　than　the　great　regard　he　had　for　Herod；　for　he　looked　upon　Antigonus　as　a　seditious　person；　and　an　enemy　of　the　Romans；　and　as　for　Caesar；　Herod　found　him　better　prepared　than　Antony；　as　remembering　very　fresh　the　wars　he　had　gone　through　together　with　his　father；　the　hospitable　treatment　he　had　met　with　from　him；　and　the　entire　good…will　he　had　showed　to　him；　besides　the　activity　which　he　saw　in　Herod　himself。　So　he　called　the　senate　together；　wherein　Messalas；　and　after　him　Atratinus；　produced　Herod　before　them；　and　gave　a　full　account　of　the　merits　of　his　father；　and　his　own　good…will　to　the　Romans。　At　the　same　time　they　demonstrated　that　Antigonus　was　their　enemy；　not　only　because　he　soon　quarreled　with　them；　but　because　he　now　overlooked　the　Romans；　and　took　the　government　by　the　means　of　the　Parthians。　These　reasons　greatly　moved　the　senate；　at　which　juncture　Antony　came　in；　and　told　them　that　it　was　for　their　advantage　in　the　Parthian　war　that　Herod　should　be　king；　so　they　all　gave　their　votes　for　it。　And　when　the　senate　was　separated；　Antony　and　Caesar　went　out；　with　Herod　between　them；　while　the　consul　and　the　rest　of　the　magistrates　went　before　them；　in　order　to　offer　sacrifices；　and　to　lay　the　decree　in　the　Capitol。　Antony　also　made　a　feast　for　Herod　on　the　first　day　of　his　reign。
  CHAPTER　15。
  Antigonus　Besieges　Those　That　Were　In　Masada；　Whom　Herod　Frees　From　Confinement　When　He　Came　Back　From　Rome；　And　Presently　Marches　To　Jerusalem　Where　He　Finds　Silo　Corrupted　By　Bribes。　　1。　Now　during　this　time　Antigonus　besieged　those　that　were　in　Masada；　who　had　all　other　necessaries　in　sufficient　quantity；　but　were　in　want　of　water；　on　which　account　Joseph；　Herod's　brother；　was　disposed　to　run　away　to　the　Arabians；　with　two　hundred　of　his　own　friends；　because　he　had　heard　that　Malichus　repented　of　his　offenses　with　regard　to　Herod；　and　he　had　been　so　quick　as　to　have　been　gone　out　of　the　fortress　already；　unless；　on　that　very　night　when　he　was　going　away；　there　had　fallen　a　great　deal　of　rain；　insomuch　that　his　reservoirs　were　full　of　water；　and　so　he　was　under　no　necessity　of　running　away。　After　which；　therefore；　they　made　an　ir