of war which he
had himself undergone with Antipater his father in Egypt, and of the
hospitality he had treated him withal, and the kindness he had always
showed him, as also to gratify Antony, who was very zealous for Herod.
So a senate was convocated; and Messala first, and then Atratinus,
introduced Herod into it, and enlarged upon the benefits they had
received from his father, and put them in mind of the good-will he
had borne to the Romans. At the same time, they accused Antigonus, and
declared him an enemy, not only because of his former opposition
to them, but that he had now overlooked the Romans, and taken the
government from the Parthians. Upon this the senate was irritated; and
Antony informed them further, that it was for their advantage in the
Parthian war that Herod should be king. This seemed good to all the
senators; and so they made a decree accordingly.

5. And this was the principal instance of Antony's affection for Herod,
that he not only procured him a kingdom which he did not expect, [for he
did not come with an intention to ask the kingdom for himself, which
he did not suppose the Romans would grant him, who used to bestow it
on some of the royal family, but intended to desire it for his wife's
brother, who was grandson by his father to Aristobulus, and to Hyrcanus
by his mother,] but that he procured it for him so suddenly, that he
obtained what he did not expect, and departed out of Italy in so few
days as seven in all. This young man [the grandson] Herod afterward took
care to have slain, as we shall show in its proper place. But when the
senate was dissolved, Antony and Caesar went out of the senate house
with Herod between them, and with the consuls and other magistrates
before them, in order to offer sacrifices, and to lay up their decrees
in the capitol. Antony also feasted Herod the first day of his reign.
And thus did this man receive the kingdom, having obtained it on the
hundred and eighty-fourth olympiad, when Caius Domitius Calvinus was
consul the second time, and Caius Asinius Pollio [the first time].

6. All this while Antigonus besieged those that were in Masada, who had
plenty of all other necessaries, but were only in want of water [27]
insomuch that on this occasion Joseph, Herod's brother, was contriving
to run away from it, with two hundred of his dependents, to the
Arabians; for he had heard that Malchus repented of the offenses he had
been guilty of with regard to Herod;