difficulty of
breathing upon him, and could not breathe but when he sat upright, and
had a convulsion of all his members, insomuch that the diviners said
those diseases were a punishment upon him for what he had done to the
Rabbins. Yet did he struggle with his numerous disorders, and still
had a desire to live, and hoped for recovery, and considered of several
methods of cure. Accordingly, he went over Jordan, and made use of those
hot baths at Callirrhoe, which ran into the lake Asphaltitis, but are
themselves sweet enough to be drunk. And here the physicians thought
proper to bathe his whole body in warm oil, by letting it down into a
large vessel full of oil; whereupon his eyes failed him, and he came and
went as if he was dying; and as a tumult was then made by his servants,
at their voice he revived again. Yet did he after this despair of
recovery, and gave orders that each soldier should have fifty drachmae
a-piece, and that his commanders and friends should have great sums of
money given them.

6. He then returned back and came to Jericho, in such a melancholy state
of body as almost threatened him with present death, when he proceeded
to attempt a horrid wickedness; for he got together the most illustrious
men of the whole Jewish nation, out of every village, into a place
called the Hippodrome, and there shut them in. He then called for his
sister Salome, and her husband Alexas, and made this speech to them:
"I know well enough that the Jews will keep a festival upon my death
however, it is in my power to be mourned for on other accounts, and to
have a splendid funeral, if you will but be subservient to my commands.
Do you but take care to send soldiers to encompass these men that are
now in custody, and slay them immediately upon my death, and then all
Judea, and every family of them, will weep at it, whether they will or
no."

7. These were the commands he gave them; when there came letters from
his ambassadors at Rome, whereby information was given that Acme was put
to death at Caesar's command, and that Antipater was condemned to die;
however, they wrote withal, that if Herod had a mind rather to banish
him, Caesar permitted him so to do. So he for a little while revived,
and had a desire to live; but presently after he was overborne by his
pains, and was disordered by want of food, and by a convulsive cough,
and endeavored to prevent a natural, death; so he took an apple, and
asked for a knife for he us