buy　themselves　provisions；　and　to　build　a　wall　about　Alexandrium；　who　took　care　of　both　those　injunctions　accordingly。　　4。　In　the　mean　time　Antony　abode　at　Athens；　while　Ventidius　called　for　Silo　and　Herod　to　come　to　the　war　against　the　Parthians；　but　ordered　them　first　to　settle　the　affairs　of　Judea；　so　Herod　willingly　dismissed　Silo　to　go　to　Ventidius；　but　he　made　an　expedition　himself　against　those　that　lay　in　the　caves。　Now　these　caves　were　in　the　precipices　of　craggy　mountains；　and　could　not　be　come　at　from　any　side；　since　they　had　only　some　winding　pathways；　very　narrow；　by　which　they　got　up　to　them；　but　the　rock　that　lay　on　their　front　had　beneath　it　valleys　of　a　vast　depth；　and　of　an　almost　perpendicular　declivity；　insomuch　that　the　king　was　doubtful　for　a　long　time　what　to　do；　by　reason　of　a　kind　of　impossibility　there　was　of　attacking　the　place。　Yet　did　he　at　length　make　use　of　a　contrivance　that　was　subject　to　the　utmost　hazard；　for　he　let　down　the　most　hardy　of　his　men　in　chests；　and　set　them　at　the　mouths　of　the　dens。　Now　these　men　slew　the　robbers　and　their　families；　and　when　they　made　resistance；　they　sent　in　fire　upon　them　＇and　burnt　them＇；　and　as　Herod　was　desirous　of　saving　some　of　them；　he　had　proclamation　made；　that　they　should　come　and　deliver　themselves　up　to　him；　but　not　one　of　them　came　willingly　to　him；　and　of　those　that　were　compelled　to　come；　many　preferred　death　to　captivity。　And　here　a　certain　old　man；　the　father　of　seven　children；　whose　children；　together　with　their　mother；　desired　him　to　give　them　leave　to　go　out；　upon　the　assurance　and　right　hand　that　was　offered　them；　slew　them　after　the　following　manner：　He　ordered　every　one　of　them　to　go　out；　while　he　stood　himself　at　the　cave's　mouth；　and　slew　that　son　of　his　perpetually　who　went　out。　Herod　was　near　enough　to　see　this　sight；　and　his　bowels　of　compassion　were　moved　at　it；　and　he　stretched　out　his　right　hand　to　the　old　man；　and　besought　him　to　spare　his　children；　yet　did　not　he　relent　at　all　upon　what　he　said；　but　over　and　above　reproached　Herod　on　the　lowness　of　his　descent；　and　slew　his　wife　as　well　as　his　children；　and　when　he　had　thrown　their　dead　bodies　down　the　precipice；　he　at　last　threw　himself　down　after　them。
  5。　By　this　means　Herod　subdued　these　caves；　and　the　robbers　that　were　in　them。　He　then　left　there　a　part　of　his　army；　as　many　as　he　thought　sufficient　to　prevent　any　sedition；　and　made　Ptolemy　their　general；　and　returned　to　Samaria；　he　led　also　with　him　three　thousand　armed　footmen；　and　six　hundred　horsemen；　against　Antigonus。　Now　here　those　that　used　to　raise　tumults　in　Galilee；　having　liberty　so　to　do　upon　his　departure；　fell　unexpectedly　upon　Ptolemy；　the　general　of　his　forces；　and　slew　him；　they　also　laid　the　country　waste；　and　then　retired　to　the　bogs；　and　to　places　not　easily　to　be　found。　But　when　Herod　was　informed　of　this　insurrection；　he　came　to　the　assistance　of　the　country　immediately；　and　destroyed　a　great　number　of　the　seditions；　and　raised　the　sieges　of　all　those　fortresses　they　had　besieged；　he　also　exacted　the　tribute　of　a　hundred　talents　of　his　enemies；　as　a　penalty　for　the　mutations　they　had　made　in　the　country。
  6。　By　this　time　（the　Parthians　being　already　driven　out　of　the　country；　and　Pacorus　slain）　Ventidius；　by　Antony's　command；　sent　a　thousand　horsemen；　and　two　legions；　as　auxiliaries　to　Herod；　against　Antigonus。　Now　Antigonus　besought　Macheras；　who　was　their　general；　by　letter；　to　come　to　his　assistance；　and　made　a　great　many　mournful　complaints　about　Herod's　violence；　and　about　the　injuries　he　did　to　the　kingdom；　and　promised　to　give　him　money　for　such　his　assistance；　but　he　complied　not　with　his　invitation　to　betray　his　trust；　for　he　did　not　contemn　him　that　sent　him；　especially　while　Herod　gave　him　more　money　＇than　the　other　offered＇。　So　he　pretended　friendship　to　Antigonus；　but　came　as　a　spy　to　discover　his　affairs；　although　he　did　not　herein　comply　with　Herod；　who　dissuaded　him　from　so　doing。　But　Antigonus　perceived　what　his　intentions　were　beforehand；　and　excluded　him　out　of　the　city；　and　defended　himself　against　him　as　against　an　enemy；　from　the　walls；　till　Macheras　was　ashamed　of　what　he　had　done；　and　retired　to　Emmaus　to　Herod；　and　as　he　was　in　a　rage　at　his　disappointment；　he　slew　all　the　Jews　whom　he　met　with；　without　sparing　those　that　were　for　Herod；　but　using　them　all　as　if　they　were　for　Antigonus。
  7。　Hereupon　Herod　was　very　angry　at　him；　and　was　going　to　fight　against　Macheras　as　his　enemy；　but　he　restrained　his　indignation；　and　marched　to　Antony　to　accuse　Macheras　of　maladministration。　But　Macheras　was　made　sensible　of　his　offenses；　and　followed　after　the　king　immediately；　and　earnestly　begged　and　obtained　that　he　would　be　reconciled　to　him。　However；　Herod　did　not　desist　from　his　resolution　of　going　to　Antony；　but　when　he　heard　that　he　was　besieging　Samosata　（25）　with　a　great　army；　which　is　a　strong　city　near　to　Euphrates；　he　made　the　greater　haste；　as　observing　that　this　was　a　proper　opportunity　for　showing　at　once　his　courage；　and　for　doing　what　would　greatly　oblige　Antony。　Indeed；　when　he　came；　he　soon　made　an　end　of　that　siege；　and　slew　a　great　number　of　the　barbarians；　and　took　from　them　a　large　prey；　insomuch　that　Antony；　who　admired　his　courage　formerly；　did　now　admire　it　still　more。　Accordingly；　he　heaped　many　more　honors　upon　him；　and　gave　him　more　assured　hopes　that　he　should　gain　his　kingdom；　and　now　king　Antiochus　was　forced　to　deliver　up　Samosata。
  CHAPTER　17。
  The　Death　Of　Joseph　＇Herod's　Brother＇　Which　Had　Been　Signified　To　Herod　In　Dreams。　How　Herod　Was　Preserved　Twice　After　A　Wonderful　Manner。　He　Cuts　Off　The　Head　Of　Pappus；　Who　Was　The　Murderer　Of　His　Brother　And　Sends　That　Head　To　＇His　Other　Brother＇　Pheroras；　And　In　No　Long　Time　He　Besieges　Jerusalem　And　Marries　Mariamne。　　1。　In　the　mean　time；　Herod's　affairs　in　Judea　were　in　an　ill　state。　He　had　left　his　brother　Joseph　with　full　power；　but　had　charged　him　to　make　no　attempts　against　Antigonus　till　his　return；　for　that　Macheras　would　not　be　such　an　assistant　as　he　could　depend　on；　as　it　appeared　by　what　he　had　done　already；　but　as　soon　as　Joseph　heard　that　his　brother　was　at　a　very　great　distance；　he　neglected　the　charge　he　had　received；　and　marched　towards　Jericho　with　five　cohorts；　which　Macheras　sent　with　him。　This　movement　was　intended　for　seizing　on　the　corn；　as　it　was　now　in　the　midst　of　summer；　but　when　his　enemies　attacked　him　in　the　mountains；　and　in　places　which　were　difficult　to　pass；　he　was　both　killed　himself；　as　he　was　very　bravely　fighting　in　the　battle；　and　the　entire　Roman　cohorts　were　destroyed；　for　these　cohorts　were　new…raised　men；　gathered　out　of　Syria；　and　here　was　no　mixture　of　those　called　veteran　soldiers　among　them；　who　might　have　supported　those　that　were　unskillful　in　war。
  2。　This　victory　was　not　sufficient　for　Antigonus；　but　he　proceeded　to　that　degree　of　rage；　as　to　treat　the　dead　body　of　Joseph　barbarously；　for　when　he　had　got　possession　of　the　bodies　of　those　that　were　slain；　he　cut　off　his　head；　although　his　brother　Pheroras　would　have　given　fifty　talents　as　a　price　of　redemption　for　it。　And　now　the　affairs　of　Galilee　were　put　in　such　disorder　after　this　victory　of　Antigonus's；　that　those　of　Antigonus's　party　brought　the　principal　men　that　were　on　Herod's　side　to　the　lake；　and　there　drowned　them。　There　was　a　great　change　made　also　in　Idumea；　where　Macheras　was　building　a　wall　about　one　of　the　fortresses；　which　was　called　Gittha。　But　Herod　had　not　yet　been　informed　of　these　things；　for　after　the　taking　of　Samosata；　and　when　Antony　had　set　Sosius　over　the　affairs　of　Syria；　and　had　given　him　orders　to　assist　Herod　against　Antigonus；　he　departed　into　Egypt；　but　Sosius　sent　two　legions　before　him　into　Judea　to　assist　Herod；　and　followed　himself　soon　after　with　the　rest　of　his　army。
  3。　Now　when　Herod　was　at　Daphne；　by　Antioch；　he　had　some　dreams　which　clearly　foreboded　his　brother's　death；　and　as　he　leaped　out　of　his　bed　in　a　disturbed　manner；　there　came　messengers　that　acquainted　him　with　that　calamity。　So　when　he　had　lamented　this　misfortune　for　a　while；　he　put　off　the　main　part　of　his　mourning；　and　made　haste　to　march　against　his　enemies；　and　when　he　had　performed　a　march　that　was　above　his　strength；　and　was　gone　as　far　as　Libanus；　he　got　him　eight　hundred　men　of　those　that　lived　near　to　that　mountain　as　his　assistants；　and　joined　with　them　one　Roman　legion；　with　which；　before　it　was　day；　he　made　an　irruption　into　Galilee；　and　met　his　enemies；　and　drove　them　back　to　the　place　which　they　had　left。　He　also　made　an　immediate　and　continual　attack　upon　the　fortress。　Yet　was　he　forced　by　a　most　terrible　storm　to　pitch　his　camp　in　the　neighboring　villages　before　he　could　take　it。　But　when；　after　a　few　days'　time；　the　second　legion；　that　came　from　Antony；　joined　themselves　to　him；　the　enemy　were　aftrighted　at　his　power；　and　left　their　fortifications　ill　the　night　time。
  4。　After　this　he　marched　through　Jericho；　as　making　what　haste　he　could　to　be　avenged　on　his　brother's　murderers；　where　happened　to　him　a　providential　sign；　out　of　which；　when　he　had　unexpectedly　escaped；　he　had　the　reputation　of　being　very　dear　to　God；　for　that　evening　there　feasted　with　him　many　of　the　principal　men；　and