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[274]
NOW Herod did the more zealously pursue his journey into Arabia,
as making haste to get money of the king, while his brother was yet alive;
by which money alone it was that he hoped to prevail upon the covetous
temper of the barbarians to spare Phasaelus; for he reasoned thus with
himself,: - that if the Arabian king was too forgetful of his father's
friendship with him, and was too covetous to make him a free gift, he would
however borrow of him as much as might redeem his brother, and put into
his hands, as a pledge, the son of him that was to be redeemed. Accordingly
he led his brother's son along with him, who was of the age of seven years.
Now he was ready to give three hundred talents for his brother, and intended
to desire the intercession of the Tyrians, to get them accepted; however,
fate had been too quick for his diligence; and since Phasaelus was dead,
Herod's brotherly love was now in vain. Moreover, he was not able to find
any lasting friendship among the Arabians; for their king, Malichus, sent
to him immediately, and commanded him to return back out of his country,
and used the name of the Parthians as a pretense for so doing, as though
these had denounced to him by their ambassadors to cast Herod out of Arabia;
while in reality they had a mind to keep back what they owed to Antipater,
and not be obliged to make requitals to his sons for the free gifts the
father had made them. He also took the impudent advice of those who, equally
with himself, were willing to deprive Herod of what Antipater had deposited
among them; and these men were the most potent of all whom he had in his
kingdom.
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