The Age of the Maccabees (Illustrated) by Annesley Streane Page A

the murder
of his chief. He levied seven hundred talents upon Palestine, by way of
contribution to war expenses, and in default of prompt payment of this heavy
exaction, seized and sold as slaves the inhabitants of several Jewish towns.
Herod, who fortunately for himself was able to pay the 100 talents which were
his share of the impost, was made procurator of Coele-Syria.
    Antipater’s position
had at this time become insecure through the rising power of one namedMalichus,
as to whose origin little or nothing is known. Through bribery he procured
Antipater’s death by poison at a feast given by Hyrcanus (43 BC). Herod
obtained permission from Cassius to avenge his father’s murder, and availed
himself of it by means of hired assassins.
    After the defeat at
Philippi (42 BC), Cassius committed suicide. Turbulent times followed in
Palestine. Roman troops had been withdrawn to supply the needs of those
contending for the rule of the Empire. It is clear that the Jews as a whole had
by no means even now accepted the Idumean sway. Phasael had to put down an
insurrection in Jerusalem, while Antigonus made an abortive effort to recover
the kingdom for the Maccabean family, and though worsted by Herod in an
encounter on the borders of Judea, and driven from the country, yet he managed
for a while to retain some hold upon the northern part of Palestine.
    The same spirit was
shown, though in more peaceable fashion, by the repeated complaints made
against the sons of Antipater by representatives of the upper classes before
Antony, who was for the time master of the eastern part of the Roman world. He
refused to act upon their wishes, confirmed Phasael and Herod in their
position, and proceeded to lay a severe impost upon Palestine as upon other
provinces, in order to defray the expenses alike of his warlike operations and
his luxury.
    A Parthian invasion of
Syria was made use of by Antigonus as affording him another opportunity of
recovering his hereditary rights. He was already established within Jerusalem,
and his followers engaged in street encounters with those of his opponents,
when the Parthians, appearing before the walls, invited Phasael and Hyrcanus to
go out to the camp of Barzaphanes, the satrap in command, for the purpose of
arranging terms. They fell into the snare, and were at once thrown into prison.
Phasael there committed suicide. Hyrcanus’s ears had been cut off by the
direction or the act of Antigonus, in order that on account of this mutilation
there might under no circumstances be a resumption of his position as high
priest; and he was thereupon led by the Parthians into exile. Herod meanwhile
had succeeded in making his escape from Jerusalem, and after various wanderings
reached Rome.
    This probably was the
most critical period of his eventful life. But fortune speedily smiled on his
ambition. The triumvirs, Antony and Octavian, who had just been forced by the
legions, weary of fighting, to patch up a reconciliation, united to do honor to
the fugitive. At their motion the Senate (40 BC) nominated him king of Judea.
He did not hesitate to offer sacrifice after the manner of the pagan ritual on
entering upon office. Thus within a week of his arrival the exile found himself
with a crown upon his head, and the power of Rome at his back. So far his task
was an easy one. He now had to seek to add to the name the reality of power.
    The Parthians (40 BC)
had allowed Antigonus to call himself both king and high priest. His position,
however, was a precarious one. He bought off for the moment the hostility of
the representative of Rome in Syria, P. Ventidius, but failed to create any
enthusiastic following for himself in his kingdom. Herod, on the other hand,
though received with some support, found that the general attitude both towards
him and his rival was one of indifference. This was the case even on the part
of the Roman troops, who were in the pay of Antigonus for the purpose. Herod at
first devoted himself to the