but were vanquished by Sisenna, son of Gabinius, and Aristobulus was sent back to his prison; but his children B. C. were suffered to remain at large, in compliment to his (3) wife, whose prudent counsels had caused their sur55 render. (3)

The following year the temple of Jerusalem was plun dered by Crassus, (who had suceeeded Gabinius in (+) the government of Syria) to supply the expenses of 54 the wars he was then prosecuting. (4) Upon his

death, the faction of Aristobulus, ever ripe for rebellion, made another effort, under the command of Alexander, for the recovery of the crown, but they were subdued by Cassius (the successor of Crassus) who forced Alex(5) ander to a peace, and carried off his adherents with 52 him to the Parthian war. (5)

(

About this time the civil war between Pompey and Cæsar broke out; and as the former had supported Hyrcanus, so now the latter, in opposition to him, favoured Aristobulus, whom he released from prison, and sent into Judea with an army to reclaim the crown; but he was poisoned by Pompey's party, and his son Alexander was soon afterwards tried, condemned, and beheaded, (6) leaving only Antigonus to dispute the throne with Hyrcanus. Two years afterwards, Antigonus claimed from Cæsar the support which he considered as due to him in reward of his father's adherence to his party; but Cæsar had in the mean time been brought over to Hyrcanus's side by the address of Antipater, who also contrived to get himself appointed procurator of Judea,

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and now appointed Phasael, his eldest son, governor (7) of Jerusalem, and Herod, his second, of Galilee. (7) 47 Thus was the whole power vested in the family of Antipater, Hyrcanus retaining only the title of

king.

Herod, in the beginning of his government, gave a specimen of that haughty and turbulent spirit, which so strongly

marked his charcter in times of greater authority. Being cited before the Sanhedrim, for having taken the law into his own hands, by executing the ringleader of a ban litti that had infested his territories, he treated them with the greatest insolence, appearing before them clothed in purple, and surrounded by his guards, which so intimidated the pusillanimous assembly, that all, except Sameas, were afraid to accuse him. He, however, stood out, and even predicted the future tyranny of Herod over the Jews. Hyrcanus, however, connived at his acquittal, both from considerations of affection for his family, and also in consequence of a command to that effect from Sextus Cæsar, the Roman governor of Syria, to whom Herod had appealed, and of whom he had for a sum of money obtained the government of Colo-Syria; and with this accession of power and consequence, would have revenged the affront he had received from the Sanhedrim, by their total destruction, had he not been with difficulty dissuaded from it by his father and brother.

Antipater was poisoned by means of Malichus, a Jew, who wished to remove the only person who preceded 13. C. him in power and consequence. ($) The death of (") Antipater was immediately revenged by Phasael and 43 Herod, by whose means, Malichus was assassinated.

(8) He had, however, a considerable party in Judea, who resolving to revenge him, gained Felix, commander of the Roman forces in Judea, over to their side; they contrived also to intimidate Hyrcanus into some concessions, and much commotion was excited. Herod being at this time absent at Damascus, Phasael had to bear the whole brunt of this tumult: but he succeeded in quelling it, and having driven Felix, and the party he supported out of Jerusalem, peace was restored, and Hyrcanus, to reconcile Herod to his late desertion of his cause, gave him his grand-daughter, Mariamne, in marriage.

The storm was, however, only blown over for a time,

and soon again assumed a threatening aspect. Antigonus, the only surviving son of Aristobulus, was placed at the head of the mal-contents, supported by Marion, king of Tyre, Fabius, governor of Damascus, and Ptolemy, son of B. C, Menneus, prince of Chalcis, who had married a (9) sister of Antigonus; but the whole party was over42 powered by Herod. ()

The tyranny of Phasael and Herod, made their govern→ ment odious to the Jews, who frequently attempted to crush their power, by appealing to the Romans; but all their endeavours were circumvented by the watchfulness of Herod, who always contrived to secure to himself the favour and protection of the Roman power, which was now rapidly advancing towards universal dominion. Antigonus having obtained the assistance of the Parthians, again at、 tempted the recovery of his father's kingdom; several slight engagements took place between the contending parties, in which that of Antigonus was defeated; but at length having, by treachery, got Phasael and Hyrcanus into their power, they loaded them with chains; Herod,

unable at this time to cope with the enemy, se(1) cured his safety by flight, and Antigonus was 40 placed upon the throne ('). Phasael, expecting no

quarter, put an end to his own existence; and Antigonus, to incapacitate Hyrcanus from holding the office of high-priest, (see Lev. xxi. 16-23.) caused his ears to be cut off.

Herod in the mean time made the best of his way to Rome, where by his interest with Marc Antony, he (2) was proclaimed king of Judea, (2) and immediately 39 returning there, he by the most vigorous exertions,

got together an army, and carried on the war with Antigonus with various success, and at length besieged Jerusalem. (2)

During the siege he married Mariamne (to whom he had been for some years betrothed), hoping that this connection

with the Asmonean family* might operate to conciliate the partizans of that dynasty. At length being joined by Sosius, Roman president of Syria, Jerusalem was B C. taken by storm and Herod placed upon the throne. (3) (3) Antigonus was sent in chains to Marc Antony, 37 to Antioch, where he was soon afterwards put to death, and in him ended the Asmonean line of princes; for though Hyrcanus still lived, he remained a prisoner in Parthia, and never again obtained the crown.

The reign of Herod pourtrays only one varied scene of cruelty, oppression, injustice, and impiety. The first act of it was one of vengeance upon the members of the Sanhe drim, who had formerly offended him, excepting only Pollio and Sameas, who had recommended the surrender of the city to him; all the rest standing out in the nope that the people might be saved for the temple's sake, though they had had such dear-bought experience (says Dr. Hales) to the contrary, when the national sins had drawn down Divine chastisement upon them. Ananel (a creature in his own interests) was appointed high priest (4) by Herod, (+) but was soon after deposed by him, 36 to satisfy Mariamne, and her mother Alexandra, who urged him to invest Aristobulus, son of the (5) latter, with that dignity; which he accordingly did, 35 (5) but contrived soon afterwards to have him

drowned in a bath, out of jealousy of the popularity he excited; Ananel was then reinstated. (5) The murder of Aristobulus, however, involved Herod in many troubles; for Alexandra, who was connected in friendship with Cleopatra, queen of Egypt, prevailed upon her to use her influence with Marc Antony to have him arraigned for it. Herod was accordingly cited to answer the charge; but having succeeded by flattery and presents in soothing the anger

* Mariamne was the daughter of Alexander, the son of Aristobulus II., and of Alexandra, the daughter of Hyrcanus II.

B. C. of Marc Antony, the prosecution was dropped, (*) (*) and Herod was employed by him in a war 34 against Malchus, king of Arabia Petræa, whom he () reduced to submission. (7) Upon his return to Je31 rusalem, new vexations awaited him; for he found his domestic affairs in a state of ferment through the ́machinations of his sister Salome, a most wicked and malicious character, who from envy and jealousy of Mariamne, had resolved upon her destruction, and which was accel ́erated by the intemperate reproaches of the latter, who in-cessantly upbraided Herod with the murder of so many of her relatives as had fallen victims to his ambition, and to the number of which, he had proposed to add her own, and had given orders to that effect, in the event of his own condemnation by Antony.

About this time a new act of atrocity was added to the crimes of Herod, in the execution of the aged Hyrcanus ; who, trusting to the gratitude Herod owed him, had suffered himself to be inveigled into Judea, where, upon a false charge of holding a treasonable correspondence with Malchus, king of Arabia, he was put to death in the eightieth year of his age.

Upon the death of Marc Antony, Herod used every means to ingratiate himself with Octavius, in which he succeeded; and was confirmed by him in the kingdom. His domestic discords continued, and led him at length, in a fit

of rage and jealousy, to order the execution of Ma() riamne, (3) and of her mother Alexandra, the next 29 year, (2) which were followed by those of Costoba(9)_rus,* Lysimachus, Antipater Dositheus, and others, 28 suspected of a conspiracy in favour of the Asmo(') nean party. (')

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To divert his mind, which was harassed by con

* Costobarus was the second husband of Salome, and had been divorced by her; and in order to ingratiate herself with her brother Herod, she now contrived to have Costobarus suspected of treason.