earched out every thing; and, aggravating
the relations to her brother, declared to him, as well their secret
assemblies and compotations, as their counsels taken in a clandestine
manner, which if they were not in order to destroy him, they might
well enough have been open and public. But to appearance they are at
variance, and speak about one another as if they intended one another a
mischief, but agree so well together when they are out of the sight
of the multitude; for when they are alone by themselves, they act in
concert, and profess that they will never leave off their friendship,
but will fight against those from whom they conceal their designs. And
thus did she search out these things, and get a perfect knowledge of
them, and then told her brother of them, who understood also of himself
a great deal of what she said, but still durst not depend upon it,
because of the suspicions he had of his sister's calumnies. For there
was a certain sect of men that were Jews, who valued themselves highly
upon the exact skill they had in the law of their fathers, and made men
believe they were highly favored by God, by whom this set of women were
inveigled. These are those that are called the sect of the Pharisees,
who were in a capacity of greatly opposing kings. A cunning sect they
were, and soon elevated to a pitch of open fighting and doing mischief.
Accordingly, when all the people of the Jews gave assurance of their
good-will to Caesar, and to the king's government, these very men did
not swear, being above six thousand; and when the king imposed a fine
upon them, Pheroras's wife paid their fine for them. In order to
requite which kindness of hers, since they were believed to have the
foreknowledge of things to come by Divine inspiration, they foretold how
God had decreed that Herod's government should cease, and his posterity
should be deprived of it; but that the kingdom should come to her and
Pheroras, and to their children. These predictions were not concealed
from Salome, but were told the king; as also how they had perverted some
persons about the palace itself; so the king slew such of the Pharisees
as were principally accused, and Bagoas the eunuch, and one Carus,
who exceeded all men of that time in comeliness, and one that was his
catamite. He slew also all those of his own family who had consented to
what the Pharisees foretold; and for Bagoas, he had been puffed up by
them, as though he should be named the fat