decease of his father, and joined with him in mourning for the death of
Herod, and in wishing him good success in that his succession; while
yet this Archelaus, lest he should be in danger of not being thought the
genuine son of Herod, began his reign with the murder of three thousand
citizens; as if he had a mind to offer so many bloody sacrifices to God
for his government, and to fill the temple with the like number of dead
bodies at that festival: that, however, those that were left after so
many miseries, had just reason to consider now at last the calamities
they had undergone, and to oppose themselves, like soldiers in war, to
receive those stripes upon their faces [but not upon their backs, as
hitherto]. Whereupon they prayed that the Romans would have compassion
upon the [poor] remains of Judea, and not expose what was left of them
to such as barbarously tore them to pieces, and that they would join
their country to Syria, and administer the government by their own
commanders, whereby it would [soon] be demonstrated that those who are
now under the calumny of seditious persons, and lovers of war, know how
to bear governors that are set over them, if they be but tolerable ones.
So the Jews concluded their accusation with this request. Then rose up
Nicolaus, and confuted the accusations which were brought against the
kings, and himself accused the Jewish nation, as hard to be ruled, and
as naturally disobedient to kings. He also reproached all those kinsmen
of Archelaus who had left him, and were gone over to his accusers.

3. So
Caesar, after he had heard both sides, dissolved the assembly for that
time; but a few days afterward, he gave the one half of Herod's kingdom
to Archelaus, by the name of Ethnarch, and promised to make him king
also afterward, if he rendered himself worthy of that dignity. But as to
the other half, he divided it into two tetrarchies, and gave them to two
other sons of Herod, the one of them to Philip, and the other to that
Antipas who contested the kingdom with Archelaus. Under this last was
Perea and Galilee, with a revenue of two hundred talents; but Batanea,
and Trachonitis, and Auranitis, and certain parts of Zeno's house
about Jamnia, with a revenue of a hundred talents, were made subject
to Philip; while Idumea, and all Judea, and Samaria were parts of the
ethnarchy of Archelaus, although Samaria was eased of one quarter of its
taxes, out of regard to their not having revolted with