the colon. A moist and transparent humour also covered his feet. Similar also was the disease about the ventricle, so that the corruption causing worms in the lower part of the abdomen, there was an increased violence of breathing, which of itself was very offensive; both on account of the disagreeable effluvia, and the rapidity of the respiration. He was also convulsed in every part of his body, with a violence that could not be repressed. It was said, therefore, by those who are conversant with divine things, and to whose wisdom it appertained to declare such things, that God inflicted this punishment upon the king on account of his great impiety."

These are the particulars which are stated by the aforesaid writer, in the book mentioned; and in the second book of his history he gives very much the same account concerning him, in the following words: "Then the disease, pervading his whole body, distracted it by various torments. For the fever becaine more intense, the itching of the whole surface was insupportable, and the pains of the lower abdomen were incessant. On his feet were swellings, as of one labouring with the dropsy. There was also an inflammation of the ventricle, and a putrefaction that generated worms. Beside this, a more violent breathing, and difficult respiration, and convulsions of all the limbs; so that they who referred to a divine agency, said that this disease was a punishment. But, though struggling with so many sufferings, he nevertheless clung to life, and did not relinquish the hope of deliverance, but was ever devising new remedies. Crossing the Jordan, therefore, he used the warm baths near Callirhoë. These flow into the lake Asphalites (Dead Sea), but, by reason of their sweetness, they are also potable. As the physicians here deemed it necessary to use some soothing application, his whole body was bathed in tepid oil, in a bathing tub filled with oil for that purpose, when he was so overcome that his eyes began to break, and turn up like one dead. His servants then being alarmed and raising an outcry, he came to himself at the noise; but after that, despairing of recovery, he ordered about fifty drachms to be distributed to the soldiers, and considerable sums to be given to his

generals and friends. He returned to Jericho; where, being seized with despair, and now threatened with instant death, he proceeded to a crowning act of the most horrid character. He collected the distinguished men of every village from the whole of Judea, and commanded them to be shut up in what was called the Hippodrome. He then sent for Salome, his sister, and her husband Alexander. 'I know,' said he, that the Jews will rejoice at my death; but I may be lamented by means of others, and have splendid funeral rites, if you are willing to perform my commands. As soon as I have expired, surround these men that are now under guard with soldiers, as soon as possible, and slay them, that all Judea and every house, though against their will, may be compelled to weep at my death." And soon after, he adds, "Again he was so tortured, partly by the want of food and by a convulsive cough, that, overpowered by his pains, he contemplated anticipating his fate. Having taken an apple, he also asked for a knife, for he was accustomed to use one in eating apples. Then, looking around, lest there should be any person to hinder him, he raised his right arm as if to strike himself." The same author, in addition to these, says, "that he slew another of his own sons before his death, being the third that had already been slain by his orders, and that, immediately after this, he breathed out his life, not without excessive torture."

Such, then, was the end of Herod, who thus suffered the just punishment for the crimes that he committed in the murder of the children of Bethlehem, when he designed the destruction of our Saviour. After this, an angel appearing in a dream to Joseph, who was then in Egypt, directed him to return with the child and his mother, revealing to him that they were dead who had sought the life of the infant. To this account the Evangelist adds: "But he, hearing that Archelaus reigned in Judea, in the place of Herod, his father, was afraid to go thither, and being warned in a dream, he retired into the parts of Galilee."

F

CHAPTER IX.

OF THE TIMES OF PILATE.

THE same historian also agrees with the statements respecting the government of Archelaus after Herod's death; and relates in what manner he succeeded to the kingdom of the Jews, by the will of Herod, his father, and the confirmation of it by Cæsar Augustus; as also, that he having lost his kingdom after ten years, his brothers Philip and Herod the younger, together with Lysanias, received their respective tetrarchies. The same author, in the eighteenth book of his Antiquities, says, "that about the twelfth year of the reign of Tiberius (for he succeeded to the empire after Augustus, who had reigned fifty-seven years), Pontius Pilate was appointed over Judea, and remained there ten years, almost to the death of Tiberius. Hence the fraud of those persons is plainly proved, who lately, and at other times, have given currency to certain spurious acts against our Saviour. In which the very time of the date proves the falsehood of the inventors. For in the fourth consulship of Tiberius, which was in the seventh year of his reign, those things are said to have occurred which they have dared to say respecting his salutary suffering. At which time, indeed, it is plain, that Pilate was not yet appointed over Judea, if Josephus is to be credited, who plainly says, in the work already cited, that Pilate was appointed procurator of Judea, by Tiberius, in the twelfth year of his reign.

CHAPTER X.

THE HIGH PRIESTS OF THE JEWS, UNDER WHOM CHRIST PROMULGATED HIS DOCTRINES.

It was about the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius, according to the Evangelist, in the fourth year of Pilate's procuratorship, Herod, Lysanias, and Philip, as tetrarchs, holding the government of the rest of Judea, when our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ was in his thirtieth year,

that he came to the baptism of John, and then began to promulgate his gospel. The holy Scriptures, moreover, relate that he passed the whole time of his public ministry under the high priests Annas and Caiaphas; intimating that during the years of their priesthood, the whole time of his ministry was terminated. For, beginning with the pontificate of Annas, and continuing after that of Caiaphas, the whole of this interval does not even give us four years. The rites, indeed, of the law, having been already abolished since that period, with it were also annulled the privileges of the priesthood, viz., of continuing it for life, and of hereditary descent. Ánd under the Roman governors, different persons at different times were appointed as high priests, who did not continue in office more than a year. Josephus, indeed, relates that there were four high priests in succession from Annas to Caiaphas. Thus, in his book of Antiquities, he writes in the following manner: "Valerius Gratus, having put a period to the priesthood of Annas, promoted Ishmael, the son of Baphi, to the office; and, removing him also, not long after, he appointed Eleazar, the son of Annas, who had been high priest, to the office. After the lapse of a year, removing also him, he transfers the priesthood to Simon, the son of Camithus. And he, also, did not continue to hold the honour longer than a year, when he was succeeded by Josephus, surnamed Caiaphas." Hence, the whole time of our Saviour's ministry is proved not to embrace four entire years, there being four high priests for four years, from Annas to the appointment of Caiaphas, each of which held the office a year respectively. Caiaphas, indeed, is justly shown, by the gospel narrative, to have been high priest in that year in which our Saviour's sufferings were finished. With which observation, the time of Christ's ministry is also proved to agree. Our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, not very long after the commencement of his public ministry, elected the twelve, whom he called Apostles, by way of eminence over the rest of his disciples. He also appointed seventy others beside these, whom he sent, two and two, before him into every place and city whither he himself was about to go.

CHAPTER XI.

THE TESTIMONIES RESPECTING JOHN THE BAPTIST AND

CHRIST.

As it was not long before this that John the Baptist was beheaded by Herod the younger, the holy Scriptures record the fact, which is also confirmed by Josephus, who has expressly made mention of Herodias by name, and the circumstance of her being married to Herod, though she was the wife of his brother, Herod having first divorced his former lawful wife. She was a daughter of Aretas, king of Arabia Petræa. But having forced Herodias from her husband while living, on whose account also he slew John, he was involved in a war with Aretas for the disgrace inflicted on his daughter; in which war it is related that, when coming to battle, the army of Herod was completely destroyed, and that he suffered all this on account of the crime that he committed against John. But the same Josephus, in this account, in which he confesses that John was a most righteous man, also bears testimony to what is recorded of him in the narratives of the gospels. He relates, also, that Herod lost his kingdom on account of the same Herodias, and that he was driven into exile with her, and condemned to dwell at Vienna, a city of Gaul. These facts are stated by him in the eighteenth book of his Antiquities, where, in the same paragraphs, he also writes thus concerning John: "To some of the Jews the army of Herod seemed to have been destroyed by God; who thus, with signal justice, avenged John, called the Baptist. For Herod slew him, a good man, and one who exhorted the Jews to the practice of virtue, and with the pursuit of righteousness and piety towards God, to receive baptism. For this baptism appeared to have been imparted to him for this object, not with the view to avoid a few trifling sins, but for the purification of the body, as far as the mind had been first purified by righteousness.

"And when many others flocked to him, for they were also much delighted with listening to his discourses, Herod, *Josephus says Lyons, Antiq. Bk. ix. c. 7.