danced, and pleased Herod, and them that sat with him, the king said unto the damsel, Ask of me whatsoever thou wilt, and I will give it thee. And he sware unto her, Whatsoever thou wilt ask of me, I will give it thee, unto the half of my kingdom." Mark vi. 17–23.

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6

This unlawful marriage is recorded in Josephus. About this time there happened a difference between Aretas, king of Petræa, and Herod, upon this occasion. Herod the tetrarch had married the daughter of Aretas, and lived a 'considerable time with her. But in a journey he took to Rome, he made a visit to Herod, his brother; though not by the same mother, for Herod was born of Simon's the high-priest's daughter. Here falling in love with Herodias, the wife of the said Herod, daughter of their 'brother Aristobulus, and sister of Agrippa the Great, he ventured to make her proposals of marriage. She not 'disliking them, they agreed together at this time, that 'when he was returned from Rome, she should go and live with him. And it was one part of their contract, that 'Aretas's daughter should be put away.'

Josephus speaks again of this marriage in another place, from which it appears likewise, that Herodias had a daughter by her first husband. She is generally supposed to be the person, whose dancing so much entertained Herod, the tetrarch. Giving an account of Herod's children and grand-children he says: Herodias was married to Herod, son of Herod the Great, by Mariamne, daughter of Simon the high-priest. They had a daughter whose name was Salome, after whose birth, Herodias, in utter violation of 'the laws of her country, left her husband then living, and 'married Herod the tetrarch of Galilee, her husband's brother by the father's side.'

Josephus here calls Herodias's first husband Herod. The Evangelists call him Philip. This difficulty will be considered amongst the objections.

* Εν τετῳ δε τασιάζεσιν Αρέτας τε ὁ Πετραίος βασιλευς και Ηρώδης, δια τοιαύτην αιτίαν. Ηρώδης ὁ τετραρχης γαμεί την Αρετα θυγατέρα, και συνην χρονον ηδη πολυν ςελλόμενος δ' επι Ρωμης κατάγεται εν Ηρωδε αδελφε οντος ουχ όμομητρις εκ γαρ της Σίμωνος το αρχιερέως θυγατρος Ηρώδης εγεγονει ερασθείς δε Ηρωδιάδος της τότε γυναικός, θυγάτηρ δε ην Αριτοβέλε, και στις αδελφος αυτών, Αγριππε δε αδελφη το μεγαλε, τολμα λόγων άπτεσθαι περὶ γαμων και δεξαμενης, συνθηκαι γίνονται μετοικισασθαι προς αυτον, όποτε απο Ρώμης παραγενοιτο ην δε εν ταις συνθήκαις, ωςε και το Αρετα την θυγατέρα ERẞale. Antiq. 18. c. 6. sect. 1. Ηρωδίας δε αυτών ή αδελφη γημεται Ηρώδη Ηρωδε το μεγαλο παιδι, ὡς γεγονεν εκ Μαριάμνης της το Σίμωνος το αρχιερέως, και αυτοις Σαλωμη γίνεται, μεθ' ής τας γονας Ηρωδίας, επι συγχύσει φρονησασα των πατριων, Ηρωδη γαμείται το ανδρος τῳ ὁμοπατριῳ αδελφῳ, διατασα ζωντος. Την δε Γαλιλαίων τετραρχίαν είχεν ουτος. ibid.

sect 4.

a

It may, perhaps, be expected, I should here produce an instance about that time, of some lady of a like station with Herodias's daughter, who danced at a public entertainment. But I must own, I am not furnished with any instance exactly parallel. And I should conclude from this very story, as related by the evangelists, that this dance was a very unusual, if not a singular piece of complaisance. If it had been a common thing, it is not to be supposed that Herod would have thought of requiting it with so large a present as half his kingdom.

66

However, the daughter of the said Herodias, having received from Herod a solemn promise, confirmed by an oath, that he would give her "whatsoever she should ask of him," and she having withdrawn and advised with her mother, Mark vi. 25, 27, 28, came with haste unto the king, and asked, saying, I will that thou give me by and by in a charger the head of John the Baptist.--And immediately the king sent an executioner, and commanded his head to be brought and he went and beheaded him in the prison. And brought his head in a charger, and gave it to the damsel, and the damsel gave it to her mother."

At the time of this event, it was common for princes to require the heads of eminent persons, whom they ordered for execution, to be brought to them, especially where there was any particular resentment.

We have an instance in Josephus, which follows the story of this marriage. Aretas was extremely provoked at the treatment of his daughter, and at length a war broke out betwixt him and Herod. A battle was fought, and Herod's troops were defeated. 'Herod sent an account of this to Tiberius; and he resenting the attempt of Aretas, wrote 'to Vitellius to declare war against him, with orders, that if he were taken prisoner he should be brought to him in 'chains, and that if he were slain his head should be sent ' to him.'b

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Agrippina, then wife of Claudius, and mother of Nero, who was afterwards emperor, sent an officer to put to death Lollia Paulina, who had been her rival for the imperial dignity. And Dio Cassius says, that when Lollia's head was brought to her, not knowing it at first, she examined it with her own hands, till she perceived some particular feature, by which that lady was distinguished. I have put down

b Ant. lib. 19. cap. 6. sect. 1.

* Και τηνγε Παυλιναν την Λολλίαν, επειδαν ελπιδα τινα ες την τε Κλαυδις συνοικησιν εσχηκεν, απέκτεινε, την τε κεφαλήν αυτής κομισθείσαν αυτή, μη γνωρισασα, το, τε τόμα αυτής αυτοχειρία ηνεφξε, και τες οδόντας εσκέψατο, ιδίως πως εχοντας. Dio. lib. Ιx. p. 686.

this instance, because it seems to give us the reason of this practice among great people, namely, that they might be certain their orders had been executed.

d

e

Josephus has represented Herodias as a woman full of ambition and envy, as having a mighty influence on Herod, and able to persuade him to things he was not of himself at all inclined to. It is on occasion of the emperor Caligula's advancing her own brother to the government of the countries that had belonged to their uncle Philip; and that not with the old title of tetrarch, which he had, but with the more honourable character of king. Upon this, Herodias, sister of Agrippa, wife of Herod, tetrarch of Galilee and Peræa, 'envied her brother's power, when she saw him in a more honourable station than her husband.' The historian proceeds to relate, that she persuaded her husband to go into Italy, that he might obtain the same title. He was averse at first: however at length she prevailed upon him to undertake the journey. But the emperor was so far from granting his petition, that upon some informations he received concerning him, he took away from him the tetrarchy of Galilee, and gave it to Agrippa, the brother of Herodias, who had been the object of her envy; and moreover banished Herod to Lyons in Gaul, whither this wife of his also followed him. Josephus concludes his account with this reflection: This punishment did God inflict on Herodias for envying her 'brother, and on Herod for following the vain counsels of a 'woman.'

f

I have set down thus much of their story here, because it may serve to give us a clear idea how things passed between Herod the tetrarch and Herodias; and may satisfy us, the evangelists have not been mistaken in representing her as the first mover in the barbarous usage, which John the Baptist met with.s

E. Hanov. 1606. Iisdem consulibus atrox odii Agrippina ac Lolliæ infensa, quod secum de matrimonio principis certavisset.-In Lolliam mittitur tribunus a quo ad mortem adigeretur. Tacit. Ann. xii. c. 22.

е

Ant. xxviii. cap. vii. sect. 10. fin. Ηρωδίας δ' ή αδελφη το Αγριππε, συνοικεσα Ηρώδη, τετραρχης δε ούτος ην Γαλιλαίας και Περαιας, φθονο του αδελφε την εξωσίαν εδέχετο, ορώσα εν πολυ μείζονι αξιώματι γεγενημevov avôpoc тe avτng. ibid. cap. 8. sect. 1. Ηρωδιάδι μεν δη φθονε τα προς τον αδελφον, και Ηρώδη γυναικειων ακροασαμενῳ κεφολογίων, δικην ταυτην επιτιμησεν ὁ Θεός. ibid. sect. 2.

f

8 NOTE. There is now in Josephus's works a paragraph [Ant. lib. xviii. cap. 6. sect. 2.] in which the death of John Baptist by Herod is related, though Herodias is not mentioned as the cause of it. But some learned men suspecting the genuineness of this paragraph, I have no right to make use of it here, where I intend to produce nothing but what is unquestionably genuine. And, I think, we have no need of it.

V. I have now said what is sufficient concerning Herod and Philip, two of the princes in whose time St. Luke says, John the Baptist commenced his ministry. All the rest will be more properly considered in some other places, except Lysanias, tetrarch of Abilene; of whom there is no distinct account in any of the ancient writers, which we now have in our hands. But if the reader will be pleased to observe some passages, which will be produced immediately concerning the two Agrippas, he will be convinced there must have been about this time some prince of this name, who was tetrarch of Abilene.

VI. We may now proceed to another of Herod's family, of whom St. Luke has given us a very remarkable history. "Now about that time, Herod the king stretched forth his hands, to vex certain of the church. And he killed James the brother of John with the sword. And because he saw it pleased the Jews, he proceeded farther to take Peter also. Then were the days of unleavened bread." Acts xii. 1-3.

St. Luke calls this person Herod, by the family name; Josephus calls him Agrippa. He was grandson of Herod the Great. His father was Aristobulus, Herod's son by Mariamne, grand-daughter of Hyrcanus: and is the same person who has been already mentioned as brother of Herodias. St. Luke gives him the title of king, and relates several acts of sovereign authority done by him. He does not say expressly, that they were done by him at Jerusalem : but there are divers particulars in the relation, which plainly determine that to be the scene of action. For St. Luke observes, that when he took Peter," then were the days of unleavened bread; and that he intended, after Easter, to bring him forth to the people." And that when Peter was out of prison," and was come to himself, he said, (ver. 11.) Now I know of a surety, that the Lord-has delivered me out of the hand of Herod, and from all the expectation of the People of the Jews." And when he had "commanded the keepers to be put to death, (ver. 19.) " he went down from Judea to Cæsarea, and there abode." A passage or two from Josephus will confirm the representation St. Luke gives of Herod's being king, and that of Judea.

It was by several steps that he was advanced to this dignity. His first preferment was from Caligula, A. D. 37. And sending for him to his palace, he [Caligula] put a crown upon his head, and appointed him king of the

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h Vid. Casaub. Exercit. in Bar. xii. 3. et Vales. Annot. ad. Euseb. Hist. Ec. 1. i. c. 10.

tetrarchy of Philip, intending also to give him the tetrarchy ' of Lysanias.'i

His next preferment was the addition made, by the same emperor, of the tetrarchy of Galilee, which has been mentioned already. The last was what follows: Claudius' by a decree confirmed to Agrippa the dominion, which Caius [Caligula] had given him; adding also Judea, and Samaria, in the utmost extent as possessed by his grand'father Herod. This he restored, as due to him by right of consanguinity; and, moreover, added of his own, Abila, which had been Lysanias's, together with the country in 'mount Libanus.'

Josephus therefore confirms the representation which St. Luke has given of Herod's sovereign power in Judea. This is worthy of our particular notice, because his three years' reign in Judea, the last of his life, was the only time, in which Judea, properly so called, was not a Roman province, from the banishment of Archelaus, in the sixth or seventh year of the Christian æra, to the year 66, when they revolted from the Romans.

6

St. Luke says, that having "killed James the brother of John with the sword; because he saw it pleased the Jews, he proceeded farther, to take Peter also." That it is very likely he should be moved by such a consideration as this, is evident from the character which Josephus has given of him. Herod the Great, his grandfather, he says, was continually obliging foreign states and cities by large bounties, but did very few things to gratify the Jews: Whereas, Agrippa was of a mild and gentle disposition, and good to all men; he was beneficent to strangers, but especially kind to the Jews his countrymen, and sympathized with them in all their troubles. For which reason also he lived much at Jerusalem, observed the Jewish institutions, practised the purity they require, and did not let a day pass without worshipping God according to the law.' This his Ant. xviii. c. vii. sect. 10. fin. k Vid. Joseph. p. 820. v. 20. p. 1067. v. 20. 1 Κλαύδιος δε διαγραμμα πρετίθει, την τε αρχήν Αγρίππα Βεβαίων, ην ὁ Γαιος παρέσχε, και δι' εγκωμίων αγων τον βασιλέα προσθήκην Σε αυτή ποιείται πασαν την ύπο Ηρωδε βασιλευθείσαν, ός ην παππος αυτό, Ιεδαίαν και Σαμαρείαν. Και ταυτα μεν ως οφειλομενα τη οικειότητι το γενες απέδιδε Αβιλαν δε την Λυσανις, και όποσα εν τῳ Λιβανῳ όρει, εκ των αυτό #porεTIOεL. Ant. 19. c. 5. sect. 1. vid. et de B. lib. ii. cap. 10.

m

Πραυς δε ὁ τροπος Αγρίππα, και προς παντας το ευεργετικον όμοιον" τους αλλοεθνεσιν ην φιλανθρωπος, κακείνοις ενδεικνύμενος το φιλοδωρον, τοις ομοφύλοις αναλογως χρησος, και συμπαθης μάλλον· ἡδεια γεν αὐτῷ διαιτα, και συνεχής εν τοις Ιεροσολύμοις ην, και τα πάτρια καθαρώς ετηρει. δια πάσης γεν αυτόν ηγεν αγνειας, εδε ήμερα τις παρωδευεν αυτή της νόμιμης χηρεύεσα Ovolas. Antiq. lib. xix. cap. 7. sect. 3.