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[5]
At this time Herod, now he had got Jerusalem under his power, carried
off all the royal ornaments, and spoiled the wealthy men of what they had
gotten; and when, by these means, he had heaped together a great quantity
of silver and gold, he gave it all to Antony, and his friends that were
about him. He also slew forty-five of the principal men of Antigonus's
party, and set guards at the gates of the city, that nothing might be carried
out together with their dead bodies. They also searched the dead, and whatsoever
was found, either of silver or gold, or other treasure, it was carried
to the king; nor was there any end of the miseries he brought upon them;
and this distress was in part occasioned by the covetousness of the prince
regent, who was still in want of more, and in part by the Sabbatic year,
which was still going on, and forced the country to lie still uncultivated,
since we are forbidden to sow our land in that year. Now when Antony had
received Antigonus as his captive, he determined to keep him against his
triumph; but when he heard that the nation grew seditious, and that, out
of their hatred to Herod, they continued to bear good-will to Antigonus,
he resolved to behead him at Antioch, for otherwise the Jews could no way
be brought to be quiet. And Strabo of Cappadocia attests to what I have
said, when he thus speaks: "Antony ordered Antigonus the Jew to be
brought to Antioch, and there to be beheaded. And this Antony seems to
me to have been the very first man who beheaded a king, as supposing he
could no other way bend the minds of the Jews so as to receive Herod, whom
he had made king in his stead; for by no torments could they he forced
to call him king, so great a fondness they had for their former king; so
he thought that this dishonorable death would diminish the value they had
for Antigonus's memory, and at the same time would diminish the hatred
they bare to Herod." Thus far Strabo.
1
1 HOW HYRCANUS WAS SET AT LIBERTY BY THE PARTHIANS, AND RETURNED TO HEROD; AND WHAT ALEXANDRA DID WHEN SHE HEARD THAT ANANELUS WAS MADE HIGH PRIEST.
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