on　of　being　very　dear　to　God；　for　that　evening　there　feasted　with　him　many　of　the　principal　men；　and　after　that　feast　was　over；　and　all　the　guests　were　gone　out；　the　house　fell　down　immediately。　And　as　he　judged　this　to　be　a　common　signal　of　what　dangers　he　should　undergo；　and　how　he　should　escape　them　in　the　war　that　he　was　going　about；　he；　in　the　morning；　set　forward　with　his　army；　when　about　six　thousand　of　his　enemies　came　running　down　from　the　mountains；　and　began　to　fight　with　those　in　his　forefront；　yet　durst　they　not　be　so　very　bold　as　to　engage　the　Romans　hand　to　hand；　but　threw　stones　and　darts　at　them　at　a　distance；　by　which　means　they　wounded　a　considerable　number；　in　which　action　Herod's　own　side　was　wounded　with　a　dart。
  5。　Now　as　Antigonus　had　a　mind　to　appear　to　exceed　Herod；　not　only　in　the　courage；　but　in　the　number　of　his　men；　he　sent　Pappus；　one　of　his　companions；　with　an　army　against　Samaria；　whose　fortune　it　was　to　oppose　Macheras；　but　Herod　overran　the　enemy's　country；　and　demolished　five　little　cities；　and　destroyed　two　thousand　men　that　were　in　them；　and　burned　their　houses；　and　then　returned　to　his　camp；　but　his　head…quarters　were　at　the　village　called　Cana。
  6。　Now　a　great　multitude　of　Jews　resorted　to　him　every　day；　both　out　of　Jericho　and　the　other　parts　of　the　country。　Some　were　moved　so　to　do　out　of　their　hatred　to　Antigonus；　and　some　out　of　regard　to　the　glorious　actions　Herod　had　done；　but　others　were　led　on　by　an　unreasonable　desire　of　change；　so　he　fell　upon　them　immediately。　As　for　Pappus　and　his　party；　they　were　not　terrified　either　at　their　number　or　at　their　zeal；　but　marched　out　with　great　alacrity　to　fight　them；　and　it　came　to　a　close　fight。　Now　other　parts　of　their　army　made　resistance　for　a　while；　but　Herod；　running　the　utmost　hazard；　out　of　the　rage　he　was　in　at　the　murder　of　his　brother；　that　he　might　be　avenged　on　those　that　had　been　the　authors　of　it；　soon　beat　those　that　opposed　him；　and　after　he　had　beaten　them；　he　always　turned　his　force　against　those　that　stood　to　it　still；　and　pursued　them　all；　so　that　a　great　slaughter　was　made；　while　some　were　forced　back　into　that　village　whence　they　came　out；　he　also　pressed　hard　upon　the　hindermost；　and　slew　a　vast　number　of　them；　he　also　fell　into　the　village　with　the　enemy；　where　every　house　was　filled　with　armed　men；　and　the　upper　rooms　were　crowded　above　with　soldiers　for　their　defense；　and　when　he　had　beaten　those　that　were　on　the　outside；　he　pulled　the　houses　to　pieces；　and　plucked　out　those　that　were　within；　upon　many　he　had　the　roofs　shaken　down；　whereby　they　perished　by　heaps；　and　as　for　those　that　fled　out　of　the　ruins；　the　soldiers　received　them　with　their　swords　in　their　hands；　and　the　multitude　of　those　slain　and　lying　on　heaps　was　so　great；　that　the　conquerors　could　not　pass　along　the　roads。　Now　the　enemy　could　not　bear　this　blow；　so　that　when　the　multitude　of　them　which　was　gathered　together　saw　that　those　in　the　village　were　slain；　they　dispersed　themselves；　and　fled　away；　upon　the　confidence　of　which　victory；　Herod　had　marched　immediately　to　Jerusalem；　unless　he　tad　been　hindered　by　the　depth　of　winter's　＇coming　on＇。　This　was　the　impediment　that　lay　in　the　way　of　this　his　entire　glorious　progress；　and　was　what　hindered　Antigonus　from　being　now　conquered；　who　was　already　disposed　to　forsake　the　city。
  7。　Now　when　at　the　evening　Herod　had　already　dismissed　his　friends　to　refresh　themselves　after　their　fatigue；　and　when　he　was　gone　himself；　while　he　was　still　hot　in　his　armor；　like　a　common　soldier；　to　bathe　himself；　and　had　but　one　servant　that　attended　him；　and　before　he　was　gotten　into　the　bath；　one　of　the　enemies　met　him　in　the　face　with　a　sword　in　his　hand；　and　then　a　second；　and　then　a　third；　and　after　that　more　of　them；　these　were　men　who　had　run　away　out　of　the　battle　into　the　bath　in　their　armor；　and　they　had　lain　there　for　some　time　in；　great　terror；　and　in　privacy；　and　when　they　saw　the　king；　they　trembled　for　fear；　and　ran　by　him　in　a　flight；　although　he　was　naked；　and　endeavored　to　get　off　into　the　public　road。　Now　there　was　by　chance　nobody　else　at　hand　that　might　seize　upon　these　men；　and　for　Herod；　he　was　contented　to　have　come　to　no　harm　himself；　so　that　they　all　got　away　in　safety。
  8。　But　on　the　next　day　Herod　had　Pappus's　head　cut　off；　who　was　the　general　for　Antigonus；　and　was　slain　in　the　battle；　and　sent　it　to　his　brother　Pheroras；　by　way　of　punishment　for　their　slain　brother；　for　he　was　the　man　that　slew　Joseph。　Now　as　winter　was　going　off；　Herod　marched　to　Jerusalem；　and　brought　his　army　to　the　wall　of　it；　this　was　the　third　year　since　he　had　been　made　king　at　Rome；　so　he　pitched　his　camp　before　the　temple；　for　on　that　side　it　might　be　besieged；　and　there　it　was　that　Pompey　took　the　city。　So　he　parted　the　work　among　the　army；　and　demolished　the　suburbs；　end　raised　three　banks；　and　gave　orders　to　have　towers　built　upon　those　banks；　and　left　the　most　laborious　of　his　acquaintance　at　the　works。　But　he　went　himself　to　Samaria；　to　take　the　daughter　of　Alexander；　the　son　of　Aristobulus；　to　wife；　who　had　been　betrothed　to　him　before；　as　we　have　already　said；　and　thus　he　accomplished　this　by　the　by；　during　the　siege　of　the　city；　for　he　had　his　enemies　in　great　contempt　already。
  9。　When　he　had　thus　married　Mariamne；　he　came　back　to　Jerusalem　with　a　greater　army。　Sosius　also　joined　him　with　a　large　army；　both　of　horsemen　and　footmen；　which　he　sent　before　him　through　the　midland　parts；　while　he　marched　himself　along　Phoenicia；　and　when　the　whole　army　was　gotten　together；　which　were　eleven　regiments　of　footmen；　and　six　thousand　horsemen；　besides　the　Syrian　auxiliaries；　which　were　no　small　part　of　the　army；　they　pitched　their　camp　near　to　the　north　wall。　Herod's　dependence　was　upon　the　decree　of　the　senate；　by　which　he　was　made　king；　and　Sosius　relied　upon　Antony；　who　sent　the　army　that　was　under　him　to　Herod's　assistance。
  CHAPTER　18。
  How　Herod　And　Sosius　Took　Jerusalem　By　Force；　And　What　Death　Antigonus　Came　To。　Also　Concerning　Cleopatra's　Avaricious　Temper。　　1。　Now　the　multitude　of　the　Jews　that　were　in　the　city　were　divided　into　several　factions；　for　the　people　that　crowded　about　the　temple；　being　the　weaker　part　of　them；　gave　it　out　that；　as　the　times　were；　he　was　the　happiest　and　most　religious　man　who　should　die　first。　But　as　to　the　more　bold　and　hardy　men；　they　got　together　in　bodies；　and　fell　a　robbing　others　after　various　manners；　and　these　particularly　plundered　the　places　that　were　about　the　city；　and　this　because　there　was　no　food　left　either　for　the　horses　or　the　men；　yet　some　of　the　warlike　men；　who　were　used　to　fight　regularly；　were　appointed　to　defend　the　city　during　the　siege；　and　these　drove　those　that　raised　the　banks　away　from　the　wall；　and　these　were　always　inventing　some　engine　or　another　to　be　a　hinderance　to　the　engines　of　the　enemy；　nor　had　they　so　much　success　any　way　as　in　the　mines　under　ground。
  2。　Now　as　for　the　robberies　which　were　committed；　the　king　contrived　that　ambushes　should　be　so　laid；　that　they　might　restrain　their　excursions；　and　as　for　the　want　of　provisions；　he　provided　that　they　should　be　brought　to　them　from　great　distances。　He　was　also　too　hard　for　the　Jews；　by　the　Romans'　skill　in　the　art　of　war；　although　they　were　bold　to　the　utmost　degree；　now　they　durst　not　come　to　a　plain　battle　with　the　Romans；　which　was　certain　death；　but　through　their　mines　under　ground　they　would　appear　in　the　midst　of　them　on　the　sudden；　and　before　they　could　batter　down　one　wall；　they　built　them　another　in　its　stead；　and　to　sum　up　all　at　once；　they　did　not　show　any　want　either　of　painstaking　or　of　contrivances；　as　having　resolved　to　hold　out　to　the　very　last。　Indeed；　though　they　had　so　great　an　army　lying　round　about　them；　they　bore　a　siege　of　five　months；　till　some　of　Herod's　chosen　men　ventured　to　get　upon　the　wall；　and　fell　into　the　city；　as　did　Sosius's　centurions　after　them；　and　now　they　first　of　all　seized　upon　what　was　about　the　temple；　and　upon　the　pouring　in　of　the　army；　there　was　slaughter　of　vast　multitudes　every　where；　by　reason　of　the　rage　the　Romans　were　in　at　the　length　of　this　siege；　and　by　reason　that　the　Jews　who　were　about　Herod　earnestly　endeavored　that　none　of　their　adversaries　might　remain；　so　they　were　cut　to　pieces　by　great　multitudes；　as　they　were　crowded　together　in　narrow　streets；　and　in　houses；　or　were　running　away　to　the　temple；　nor　was　there　any　mercy　showed　either　to　infants；　or　to　the　aged；　or　to　the　weaker　sex；　insomuch　that　although　the　king　sent　about　and　desired　them　to　spare　the　people；　nobody　could　be　persuaded　to　withhold　their　right　hand　from　slaughter；　but　they　slew　people　of　all　ages；　like　madmen。　Then　it　was　that　Antigonus；　without　any　regard　to　his　former　or　to　his　present　fortune；　came　down　from　the　citadel；　and　fell　at　Sosius's　feet；　who　without　pitying　him　at　all；　upon　the　change　of　his　condition；　laughed　at　him　beyond　measure；　and　called　him　Antigona。　（26）　Yet　did　he　not　treat　him　like　a　woman；　or　let　him　go　free；　but　put　him　into　bonds；　and　kept　him　in　custody。
  3。　But　Herod's　concern　at　present；　now　he　had　gotten　his　enemies　under　his　power；　was　to　restrain　the　zeal　of　his　foreign　auxiliaries；　for　the　multitude　of　the　strange　peopl