A Class-Book of New Testament HistoryMaclear, G. F. (George Frederick)
History
A Class-Book of New Testament History
Maclear, G. F. (George Frederick)
Bible. New Testament -- History of Biblical events
While the jealousies in the royal household were thus for a short
time hushed, the building of the new and magnificent city of Cæsarea
was completed, B.C. 10. This event was celebrated with an imposing
ceremonial, with shows, games, exhibitions of gladiators, and sumptuous
entertainments, to which the wife of Cæsar herself contributed
largely[125]. Other cities now arose in honour of different members of
Herod’s family. Antipatris[126], between Cæsarea and Lydda, preserved
the name of his father _Antipater_; Cypron, near Jericho, of his mother
_Cyprus_; Phasaelis, in the plain near the same city, of his brother
_Phasael_.
But soon the quarrels in the royal household broke out afresh. With
a strange lack of caution, the sons of Mariamne again indulged their
dissatisfaction by the use of intemperate language, which the artful
Antipater managed to report to Herod, exaggerated or distorted, as best
suited his purpose. Knowing not whom to trust, the king had no rest
night or day. At length he ordered some of the confidential slaves of
the young princes to be put to the torture, and they, to obtain relief
from their agony, made false declarations respecting Alexander, who was
immediately flung into prison and loaded with chains.
There the wretched young man had recourse to a strange expedient. He
sent four papers to his father, in which he accused himself of all
kinds of treasonable practices, but added that Pheroras, Salome, and
several of the king’s most intimate friends, were his accomplices.
The whole court was now a scene of suspicion and distrust. Herod knew
not which way to look or whom to believe. In a state of phrenzy he
day after day caused persons of all grades to be apprehended; some
of these he executed; others he tortured to compel them to confess,
and with such severity that several of them died under the hands of
their tormentors. In the midst of these troubles, Archelaus, king of
Cappadocia, and father-in-law of Alexander, arrived at Jerusalem, and
succeeded in obtaining his release, and restoration to Herod’s favour.
But the lull was only temporary. A few months had barely elapsed before
Salome and Pheroras, regaining all their old ascendancy, poisoned the
king’s mind with suspicions. Unable to trust any one around him, Herod
once more had recourse to Augustus, and poured forth the bitterest
complaints against the sons of Mariamne. In reply, the emperor advised
him to summon a council of sovereigns at Berytus[127], with Volumnius
and Saturninus the prefects of Syria, and formally arraign the young
men before them.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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