ake war upon him, and either to take him alive, and bring him to him in
bonds, or to kill him, and send him his head. This was the charge that
Tiberius gave to the president of Syria.

2. Now some of the Jews thought that the destruction of Herod's army
came from God, and that very justly, as a punishment of what he did
against John, that was called the Baptist: for Herod slew him, who was
a good man, and commanded the Jews to exercise virtue, both as to
righteousness towards one another, and piety towards God, and so to come
to baptism; for that the washing [with water] would be acceptable to
him, if they made use of it, not in order to the putting away [or the
remission] of some sins [only], but for the purification of the body;
supposing still that the soul was thoroughly purified beforehand by
righteousness. Now when [many] others came in crowds about him, for they
were very greatly moved [or pleased] by hearing his words, Herod, who
feared lest the great influence John had over the people might put it
into his power and inclination to raise a rebellion, [for they seemed
ready to do any thing he should advise,] thought it best, by putting him
to death, to prevent any mischief he might cause, and not bring himself
into difficulties, by sparing a man who might make him repent of it when
it would be too late. Accordingly he was sent a prisoner, out of Herod's
suspicious temper, to Macherus, the castle I before mentioned, and was
there put to death. Now the Jews had an opinion that the destruction
of this army was sent as a punishment upon Herod, and a mark of God's
displeasure to him.

3. So Vitellius prepared to make war with Aretas, having with him two
legions of armed men; he also took with him all those of light armature,
and of the horsemen which belonged to them, and were drawn out of those
kingdoms which were under the Romans, and made haste for Petra, and came
to Ptolemais. But as he was marching very busily, and leading his army
through Judea, the principal men met him, and desired that he would not
thus march through their land; for that the laws of their country would
not permit them to overlook those images which were brought into it, of
which there were a great many in their ensigns; so he was persuaded by
what they said, and changed that resolution of his which he had before
taken in this matter. Whereupon he ordered the army to march along the
great plain, while he himself, with Herod the tetrarch and hi