The Civil History of the Jews, from Joshua to Hadrian

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated.1841 Excerpt: ... Chapter XV. The arrangements Herod had made in his will could have no effect until they had been ratified by Augustus. The final settlement was in favour of the three eldest sons, not all by one wife, for we are told that he had nine at one time, even after Mariamne's death. Archelaus had Judea, Idumea, and Samaria, with the title of Ethnarchj Philip had Batanaea, Trachonitis, Auranitis, and Ituraea, with the name of Tetrarch; and Antipas, Galilee and Peraea. The principal affair was the revenue: Archelaus had six hundred talents, = 120,000/. per annum; and the other two, two hundred talents,=40,000Z. each. A few towns, with a revenue of sixty talents, were allotted to Salome, Herod's sister. This distribution of the emperor's patronage was not carried into effect without remonstrances. Archelaus was obliged by his hopes of favour to go in person to Rome, soliciting the confirmation of his father's will: and would willingly have gone with the garland of popularity to adorn his suit. But the Jews, whose stout adhesion to their laws and traditions of the elders, made them turbulent under any Romanized government, grew presumptuous by his forbearance; and at the feast of the passover, when the great number of worshippers quickly constituted a formidable mob, drove Archelaus to the extremity of loosing his whole band of mercenaries upon them, and so, as on other occasions, it happened "their blood was mingled with their sacrifices." This gave a handle of crimination to those who, previously averse to any son of the old and s-anguinary tyrant just expired, had resolved to petition for a direct Roman administration. Their memorial to Augustus seems to be referred to in one of our Saviour's parables, delivered, indeed, many years afterwards; and the result, as the...