CHAPTERXIX. 515 for not paying the tribute demanded, or on some other pre- tences ; sometimes by the Parthians, who assisted Antigonus, son of the late king Aristobulus to recover Jerusalem and Judea, in opposition to the united forces of Phasael, and Herod, and Hyrcanus. 52. Q. Did Antigonus ever recover this government ? A. ThePar-thian general Pacorus, who was at war with theRomans, did by mere treachery get into his custody both Hyrcanus and Phasael, seized Jerusalem, and rifted it, made Antigonus go- vernor of Judea, and delivered Hyrcanus and Phasael to him in chains; but Herod made his escape. 53. Q. Whitt became of Phasael and Hyrcanus ? A. Phasael beat out his own brains in prison ; Hyrcanus's ears were cut off, that being maimed he might be no longer a high- priest ; Lev. xxi. 17. and he was sent afar off among theParthiaus that hemight raise no disturbance against Antigonus. 54. Q. Whither did Herod take his flight ? A. After a little time he went to Rotne to represent all these transactions, and he made his cotnplaintè with great and unexpected success ; for Julius Cæsar being slain in the Roman senate, Mark Antony and Octavius, who was afterward Augustus Cæsar, governed all things there, and they agreed to make Herod king of Judea, With the consent of the senate, hoping if would be for their in- terest in the Parthian war. SECT. VIIL Of the Government of Herod the Great, and his Posterity over the Jews. 1. Question-. What did Herod do on his receiving this new dignity ? Answer. He returning to Judea, first relieved his mother, who was put in prison by Antigonus, he made himself master of Galilee, he destroyed some large bands of robbers which infested the country thereabout, sheltering them- selves in mountains, and the caves of steep and craggy rocks. 2. Q. What artifice did he use in order to attack them ? A. By reason of their dwelling in such hollow caves is preci- pices, there was no scaling them from below: and therefore to ferret them out of their dens, he made large open chests, and filled them with soldiers, which he let down into the entrances of those caves by chains from engines which he had fixed above, and thus he destroyed great numbers of them. Note, This country was often annoyed with the remains of these plunderers in the reign of Herod ; but he treated them without mercy, and all the country that sheltered themwith great rigour, till he restored peace to Galilee. 3. Q. Where was his next march ? A. Into Judea against Antigonus, and after several battles with various success oit ho,lr sides, at last, by the assistance of the Roman legions, he besieg- ed Antigonus in Jerusalem.
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