s mother and all his kinsmen, who had been at Masada, to
Samaria. And when he had settled them securely, he marched to capture the
remaining parts of Galilee, and to drive away the garrisons of Antigonus.

[Sidenote: Jos. Jew. War, I, 17:1]
In the meantime Herod's fortunes in Judea were not in a favorable
condition. He had left his brother Joseph with full authority, but had
commanded him to make no attacks against Antigonus until his return. But
as soon as Joseph heard that his brother was at a great distance, he
disregarded the command he had received and marched toward Jericho with
five cohorts. But when his enemies attacked him in the mountains and in a
place where it was difficult to pass, he was killed as he was fighting
bravely in the battle, and all the Roman cohorts were destroyed.

[Sidenote: Jos. Jew. War, I, 17:8, 9]
Now near the end of winter Herod marched to Jerusalem and brought his army
up to its wall. This was the third year after 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 Pompey had formerly captured the city. Accordingly
he divided the work among the army and laid waste the suburbs, and gave
orders to raise three mounds and to build towers upon these mounds. But he
himself went to Samaria to marry the daughter of Alexander, the son of
Aristobulus, who had been betrothed to him before. And when he was thus
married, he came back to Jerusalem with a greater army.

[Sidenote: Jos. Jew. War, I, 18:1, 2c, 4a]
Now the multitude of the Jews who were in the city were divided into
several factions. For the people that crowded about the temple, being the
weaker party, became fanatical and raved wildly over the situation. But
some of the bolder men gathered together in companies, and began robbing
in many different ways and especially plundering the provisions that were
about the city, so that no food was left over for the horses or the men.
After a siege of five months some of Herod's chosen men ventured upon the
wall and fell into the city. They first captured the environs of the
temple, and as the army poured in there was a slaughter of vast multitudes
everywhere, on account of the rage in which the Romans were because of the
length of the siege, and because the Jews who were about Herod were eager
that none of their opponents should remain. Thereupon Herod made those who
were on his side still more his friends by the honors he conf