Josippon

At that time, Antipater returned to Jerusalem to Hyrcanus, king of Judaea, who had sent him. Hyrcanus had rebuilt the walls of Jerusalem that Pompey had destroyed, and he ruled securely. But Hyrcanus was blameless and upright and very lazy in all practical matters, and Antipater was alarmed at Hyrcanus's sloth, so he placed his sons over all Judaea at Hyrcanus's command. He took his eldest son, Phasael (Phaselus), and placed him as nagid over Jerusalem, and he took his second son, called Herod, and placed him as nagid in the Galilee, and he was still a youth of fifteen years.

At the same time, a bandit left Jerusalem, a youth called Hezekiah, chief of the robbers. This man was a robber and a bandit who, in his sweep, despoiled all Aram, regularly killing their youth by sword, destroying all their fortified cities, and desolating all their land without mercy. In every place where there were Aramaeans (Syrians), Hezekiah plundered them, accompanied by many young robbers; all the Aramaeans were terrified of his oppression, and they could neither withstand nor survive against him.

While Antipater's son Herod was commander and ruler of the Galilee, Sextus, Caesar's cousin whom Caesar had placed in command of all the land of Aram, sent him a letter saying: "Sextus, Caesar's nephew, to Herod, Antipater's son: Peace. Let it be known to you that we have heard that you were appointed commander in the Galilee, and we are pleased. Recall now Caesar's love for your father and his respect for him, and fight Caesar's war; for Hezekiah, chief of the robbers from your land, has despoiled all the territory of Aram over which I am commander, and the Arameans cannot withstand him. Go now, fight him, kill him, and you will receive a huge gift from Caesar and from me." Herod obeyed Sextus; he marched forth and encountered Hezekiah while he was coming confidently after he had smitten Aram: he smote him and killed him and all his lads, the robbers. When Sextus heard of this affair, he sent a gift of silver and gold to Herod, and all the Arameans too sent him gifts of silver, gold, and precious stones, because he had fought against Hezekiah and killed him. For this reason, they honored him, and the lad became very wealthy with silver and gold, for the Arameans had enriched him because he saved Aram from Hezekiah's oppression and had killed him.

The leaders of Judaea heard all that Herod had done to Hezekiah, and the men were greatly saddened and said to Hyrcanus: "How long will you suffer the burden of Antipater and his sons, for the entire kingdom is in their hand, and they do everything that they wish, for Antipater is ingratiating himself with the kings of Roma with your wealth and treasures; his son Phasael is nagid of Jerusalem, and everything that he seeks to do in Jerusalem he does, and you have no part in the rule of Judaea save for the name because the whole kingdom is in their hand? Furthermore, his son Herod killed Hezekiah, a valiant and ruthless man, whose terror was upon all the nations, and all our neighbors trembled from fear of him; he was beloved of his people and a terror for all the nations. Now bring Antipater's son Herod to trial before the sacred Sanhedrin in Jerusalem, before the seventy sages in Jerusalem, and let them render a sentence of death, for he is deserving of death." After repeating these things to him daily with the mothers of Hezekiah's lads whom Herod had killed, who cried unto Hyrcanus whenever he came to God's Temple, reminding him that Herod had killed their sons, Hyrcanus consented and sent for Herod to come stand trial before the seventy sages who constituted the sacred Sanhedrin in those days.

When Antipater heard this, he sent to his son Herod, saying: "Whereas Hyrcanus, king of Judaea, has called you to come unto him, hurry and do not tarry, but take care lest you come unarmed and alone; rather, come with troops. Yet when you come to the city, do not come with a large army lest Hyrcanus say that you have come against him to do battle. Come with a few men, but all of them veterans." Herod did as his father commanded him; he came with a small number of men, but all of them veterans; and he stood before the judges and before the Sanhedrin. Standing before them, dressed in purple, his head coifed, surrounded by troops and girt with sword, all the judges and the men of the Sanhedrin were frightened; they were silent and said nothing, and everyone who spoke against him before he came were silent and did not say a thing.

Then spoke Shamai (Sameus), a disciple of Hillel the elder, and said to the Sanhedrin (according to the report of Joseph ben Gurion), "I have something to say before you, God's holy ones, for this day I have seen a new thing among you. Every sinner who stands before you has to stand dressed in black, his hair full of dust, begging you for mercy for his sins; but this lad, Herod, stands before you dressed in purple, his hair coifed, surrounded by troops, and girt with sword; and if he is condemned in trial, he will return and kill us. Nor am I surprised at Herod, for he did all this only to save himself from death; it is you who have sinned, for you pardoned his transgression. Because you allowed him to act this way, the day will come when this Herod, whom you showed favor at trial, will soon rule over you and will kill you in return for your showing him favor at trial. Moreover, he will have no mercy for Hyrcanus, who took pity on him, for he will kill him and receive his kingdom."

When Shamai had spoken these words, Hyrcanus said to the men of the Sanhedrin: "Let us go home, for the day has passed, and on the morrow, we shall return to the place of judgment to investigate and know the verdict of this trial." Hyrcanus spoke this thing only to save Herod from the trial, for he saw that the college of judges was of one mind, to pronounce a sentence of death against Herod. Hyrcanus rose up and went to his home, and all the judges went each to his home. That night Herod left Jerusalem with his troops and fled to Damascus in Aram to Sextus, whom Gabinius had appointed over Aram, and told him all that had happened to him in Jerusalem; and Sextus appointed him nagid over Aram.

At the new year, Herod gathered all the army of Aram and came against Hyrcanus in battle. His father, Antipater, with Phasael, his brother, went out to greet him, and they said to him: "You are not repaying Hyrcanus in the same coin as he paid you, for he saved you from death, and the only reason he brought you to trial was through the counsel of evil advisers, for he loves you like his own son. Now leave him alone lest you be guilty before God, and, if you do not desist, do not say in your heart that you fought against Hyrcanus and won, for all wars are from God: He gives valor to whom He desires." When Herod heard this, he returned to Aram, having shown his valor.