eft to save
himself, his army being worn away with sickness and continual labors,
that he also delivered himself up to Archclaus, upon his promise and
oath to God [to preserve his life.] But these things came to pass a good
while afterward.

8. And now Judea was full of robberies; and as the several companies of
the seditious lighted upon any one to head them, he was created a king
immediately, in order to do mischief to the public. They were in some
small measure indeed, and in small matters, hurtful to the Romans; but
the murders they committed upon their own people lasted a long while.

9. As soon as Varus was once informed of the state of Judea by Sabinus's
writing to him, he was afraid for the legion he had left there; so
he took the two other legions, [for there were three legions in all
belonging to Syria,] and four troops of horsemen, with the several
auxiliary forces which either the kings or certain of the tetrarchs
afforded him, and made what haste he could to assist those that were
then besieged in Judea. He also gave order that all that were sent out
for this expedition, should make haste to Ptolemais. The citizens of
Berytus also gave him fifteen hundred auxiliaries as he passed through
their city. Aretas also, the king of Arabia Petrea, out of his hatred
to Herod, and in order to purchase the favor of the Romans, sent him no
small assistance, besides their footmen and horsemen; and when he had
now collected all his forces together, he committed part of them to
his son, and to a friend of his, and sent them upon an expedition into
Galilee, which lies in the neighborhood of Ptolemais; who made an attack
upon the enemy, and put them to flight, and took Sepphoris, and made its
inhabitants slaves, and burnt the city. But Varus himself pursued his
march for Samaria with his whole army; yet did not he meddle with the
city of that name, because it had not at all joined with the seditious;
but pitched his camp at a certain village that belonged to Ptolemy,
whose name was Arus, which the Arabians burnt, out of their hatred
to Herod, and out of the enmity they bore to his friends; whence they
marched to another village, whose name was Sampho, which the Arabians
plundered and burnt, although it was a fortified and a strong place; and
all along this march nothing escaped them, but all places were full of
fire and of slaughter. Emmaus was also burnt by Varus's order, after its
inhabitants had deserted it, that he migh