chariot races, when they were drawn by two, or three,
or four pair of horses. He also imitated every thing, though never so
costly or magnificent, in other nations, out of an ambition that he
might give most public demonstration of his grandeur. Inscriptions also
of the great actions of Caesar, and trophies of those nations which he
had conquered in his wars, and all made of the purest gold and silver,
encompassed the theater itself; nor was there any thing that could
be subservient to his design, whether it were precious garments, or
precious stones set in order, which was not also exposed to sight in
these games. He had also made a great preparation of wild beasts, and
of lions themselves in great abundance, and of such other beasts as
were either of uncommon strength, or of such a sort as were rarely seen.
These were prepared either to fight with one another, or that men who
were condemned to death were to fight with them. And truly foreigners
were greatly surprised and delighted at the vastness of the expenses
here exhibited, and at the great dangers that were here seen; but to
natural Jews, this was no better than a dissolution of those customs for
which they had so great a veneration. [13] It appeared also no better
than an instance of barefaced impiety, to throw men to wild beasts, for
the affording delight to the spectators; and it appeared an instance of
no less impiety, to change their own laws for such foreign exercises:
but, above all the rest, the trophies gave most distaste to the Jews;
for as they imagined them to be images, included within the armor that
hung round about them, they were sorely displeased at them, because it
was not the custom of their country to pay honors to such images.

2. Nor was Herod unacquainted with the disturbance they were under; and
as he thought it unseasonable to use violence with them, so he spake to
some of them by way of consolation, and in order to free them from that
superstitious fear they were under; yet could not he satisfy them, but
they cried out with one accord, out of their great uneasiness at the
offenses they thought he had been guilty of, that although they should
think of bearing all the rest yet would they never bear images of men in
their city, meaning the trophies, because this was disagreeable to the
laws of their country. Now when Herod saw them in such a disorder, and
that they would not easily change their resolution unless they received
satisfaction in