on as Antipater had conducted Caesar out of Syria, he returned to
Judea, and the first thing he did was to rebuild the walls of his own
country. Then he went over the country and quieted the tumults therein.
And at this time he settled the affairs of the country by himself, because
he saw that Hyrcanus was inactive and not capable of managing the affairs
of the kingdom. So Antipater appointed his oldest son, Phasaelus, governor
of Jerusalem and the surrounding territory. He also sent his second son,
Herod, who was very young, with equal authority into Galilee.

[Sidenote: Jos. Jew. War, I, 10:5a, b]
Now Herod was a very active man and soon found a field for his energy.
When, therefore, he found that Hezekias, leader of the robbers, overran
the adjoining parts of Syria with a great band of men, he caught him and
slew him and many more of the robbers. This exploit was especially
pleasing to the Syrians, so that songs were sung in Herod's commendation
both in the villages and in the cities, because he had secured peace for
them and had preserved their possessions.

[Sidenote: Jos. Jew. War, I, 11:1, 4]
At this time a mighty war arose among the Romans after the treacherous
murder of Caesar by Cassius and Brutus. Accordingly Cassius came into
Syria and assumed command of the army, and went about exacting tribute of
the cities to such a degree that they were not able to endure it. During
the war between Cassius and Brutus on the one side, against the younger
Caesar (Augustus) and Antony on the other, Cassius and Murcus gathered an
army out of Syria. And because Herod had furnished a great part of the
necessities, they made him procurator of all Syria and gave him an army of
infantry and cavalry. Cassius promised him also that after the war was
over he would make him king of Judea. But it so happened that the power
and hopes of his son became the cause of Antipater's destruction. For
inasmuch as a certain Malichus was afraid of this, he bribed one of the
king's cup-bearers to give a poisoned potion to Antipater. Thus he became
a sacrifice to Malichus's wickedness and died after the feast.

[Sidenote: Jos. Jew. War, I, 11:6, 12:3]
Herod, however, avenged himself upon Malichus. And those who hitherto did
not favor him now joined him because of his marriage into the family of
Hyrcanus, for he had formerly married a wife from his own country of noble
blood, Doris by name, who bore to him Antipater. Now he planned to marry
Mariam