caves, with seven
children and a wife; these prayed him to give them leave to go out, and
yield themselves up to the enemy; but he stood at the cave's mouth, and
always slew that child of his who went out, till he had destroyed them
every one, and after that he slew his wife, and cast their dead bodies
down the precipice, and himself after them, and so underwent death
rather than slavery: but before he did this, he greatly reproached Herod
with the meanness of his family, although he was then king. Herod also
saw what he was doing, and stretched out his hand, and offered him all
manner of security for his life; by which means all these caves were at
length subdued entirely.

6. And when the king had set Ptolemy over these parts of the country as
his general, he went to Samaria, with six hundred horsemen, and three
thousand armed footmen, as intending to fight Antigonus. But still this
command of the army did not succeed well with Ptolemy, but those that
had been troublesome to Galilee before attacked him, and slew him; and
when they had done this, they fled among the lakes and places almost
inaccessible laying waste and plundering whatsoever they could come at
in those places. But Herod soon returned, and punished them for what
they had done; for some of these rebels he slew, and others of them,
who had fled to the strong holds he besieged, and both slew them, and
demolished their strong holds. And when he had thus put an end to their
rebellion, he laid a fine upon the cities of a hundred talents.

7. In the mean time, Pacorus was fallen in a battle, and the Parthians
were defeated, when Ventidius sent Macheras to the assistance of Herod,
with two legions, and a thousand horsemen, while Antony encouraged him
to make haste. But Macheras, at the instigation of Antigonus, without
the approbation of Herod, as being corrupted by money, went about to
take a view of his affairs; but Antigonus suspecting this intention of
his coming, did not admit him into the city, but kept him at a distance,
with throwing stones at him, and plainly showed what he himself meant.
But when Macheras was sensible that Herod had given him good advice, and
that he had made a mistake himself in not hearkening to that advice,
he retired to the city Emmaus; and what Jews he met with he slew them,
whether they were enemies or friends, out of the rage he was in at what
hardships he had undergone. The king was provoked at this conduct of
his, and went t