PART III. The JEWISH Story.
§. 1. Agrippa his actions at Jerusalem after his return from Rome.
AGRIPPA returned the last year to Jerusalem, where as we observed and saw before, he performed much ceremoniousness, and changed the Highpriest, slew James and imprisoned Peter. Besides these things he remitted a tribute to the men of Jerusalem, for their kindness in entertaining of him: he obtained the letters of Petro∣nius to the men of Dor for the removal of Caesars statue, which some seditious men had set up in their Synagogue: He removed Cantharas from the Highpriest again, and placed Matthias in his stead. He imprisoned Silas the Master of his Horse for his free discourse concerning his service done to him in the time of his calamity and poverty, but on his birth day festival he inlarged him again, where he continuing still in the same freedom of speech, he imprisoned him again. He began to fortifie Jerusalem, and to make it excee∣ding strong, but Marsus (the present Governour of Syria in steed of Petronius) got let∣ters from Claudius to stop his work, as suspitious towards innovation. He was exceeding∣ty observant of his Countries Laws, and much care and cost he bestowed on sacrifices, yet was he challenged by one * 1.1 Simon that took on him to be a teacher, for an unholy man and one unfit to come into the Temple: which Simon he sent for to Caesarea, where he questioned with him about the words, and disswaded him without punishment but with a reward.
He built sumptuous things in Berytus, as a Theater, Amphitheater, Baths, Porches, and such like magnificences, and set 700 and 700 condemned men to fight together for pastime, and so destroyed them. From thence he went to Tiberias of Galilee whither divers Kings came to him to visit: And so did Marsus also the Governor of Syria; but he seeing so many Kings together with him (for they were five) he suspected the matter as tending to innovation, and therefore he commanded them home. Herod after this went down to Cae∣sarea, and there he made sports and shows in honour of Caesar; and on the second day be∣ing most gorgeously apparelled, and the Sun shining very bright upon his bright cloathing, his flatterers saluted him for a god, and cried out to him; Be merciful unto us, hitherto have we feared thee as a man, but henceforward we will acknowledge thee to be of a nature more excellent than mortal frailty can attain unto. The wretched King reproved not this abomina∣ble flattery, but did digest it: And not long after he espied his Owl which the German had foretold to be the Omen of his death. And suddainly he was seized with miserable gripings in his belly, which came upon him with vehement extremity, whereupon turn∣ing himself towards his friends, Lo, saith he, he whom ye esteem for a God is doomed to die; and destiny shall evidently confute you in those flattering and false speeches which you late∣ly used concerning me. For I who have been adored by you as one immortal, am now under the hands of death: And so his griefs and torments increasing, his death drew on a pace, whereupon he was removed into the Palace, and all the people put on sackcloth and lay on the ground praying for him, which he beholding could not refrain from tears: And so after five days he gave up the Ghost being now 54 years old, and having raigned seven years, four years in the time of Caius and three under Claudius: He left a son behind him of seventeen years old named also Agrippa, and three daughters, Bernice, Mariamme and Drusilla. Before his death was published, his brother Herod the Prince of Chalcis, and Chelchias the Kings Lieutenant, caused Silas to be put to death.