ave him more assured hopes
that he should gain his kingdom; and now king Antiochus was forced to
deliver up Samosata.

CHAPTER 17.

The Death Of Joseph [Herod's Brother] Which Had Been
Signified To Herod In Dreams. How Herod Was Preserved Twice
After A Wonderful Manner. He Cuts Off The Head Of Pappus,
Who Was The Murderer Of His Brother And Sends That Head To
[His Other Brother] Pheroras, And In No Long Time He
Besieges Jerusalem And Marries Mariamne.

1. In the mean time, Herod's affairs in Judea were in an ill state. He
had left his brother Joseph with full power, but had charged him to make
no attempts against Antigonus till his return; for that Macheras would
not be such an assistant as he could depend on, as it appeared by what
he had done already; but as soon as Joseph heard that his brother was
at a very great distance, he neglected the charge he had received, and
marched towards Jericho with five cohorts, which Macheras sent with him.
This movement was intended for seizing on the corn, as it was now in the
midst of summer; but when his enemies attacked him in the mountains, and
in places which were difficult to pass, he was both killed himself, as
he was very bravely fighting in the battle, and the entire Roman cohorts
were destroyed; for these cohorts were new-raised men, gathered out of
Syria, and here was no mixture of those called veteran soldiers among
them, who might have supported those that were unskillful in war.

2. This victory was not sufficient for Antigonus; but he proceeded to
that degree of rage, as to treat the dead body of Joseph barbarously;
for when he had got possession of the bodies of those that were slain,
he cut off his head, although his brother Pheroras would have given
fifty talents as a price of redemption for it. And now the affairs of
Galilee were put in such disorder after this victory of Antigonus's,
that those of Antigonus's party brought the principal men that were
on Herod's side to the lake, and there drowned them. There was a great
change made also in Idumea, where Macheras was building a wall about one
of the fortresses, which was called Gittha. But Herod had not yet been
informed of these things; for after the taking of Samosata, and when
Antony had set Sosius over the affairs of Syria, and had given him
orders to assist Herod against Antigonus, he departed into Egypt; but
Sosius sent two legions before him into Judea to assist Herod,