the people of Syria and Egypt and by his personal acts of bravery he won the favors that Caesar heaped upon him and upon the Jewish people.  The old territorial division instituted by Gabinius was abolished, Hyrcanus was confirmed in the high-priesthood, and Antipater was made procurator of Judea.  Joppa was restored to the Jewish state, the gerusia, the chief assembly of the Jews, was given certain of its old judicial rights, and permission was granted to rebuild the wall of Jerusalem.  The Jews were also freed from the duty of supporting Roman soldiers and of serving the Roman legions.  The tribute was also in part remitted on the sabbatical year, and the Jews of Palestine and throughout the Roman Empire were confirmed in their religious privileges.  Thus Caesar proved himself a friend of the Jews and established precedents to which they frequently appealed in later crises.

III.  Herod’s Early Record.  Among the many rewards conferred upon Antipater was the appointment of his son Phasaelus as governor of Jerusalem and his younger son Herod as governor of Galilee.  Thus while still a young man Herod was given an opportunity to demonstrate his ability and energy.  He at once took measures to put down the robber bands that infested Galilee, and executed their leader, Hezekias.  He won thereby the gratitude of the Galileans and the approval of Rome.  Hyrcanus and the sanhedrin at Jerusalem, however, viewed this assumption of authority with suspicion and alarm.  When Herod was summoned before them, he appeared in full military armor and was accompanied by a military following.  Provoked by his boldness, the sanhedrin would have sentenced him to death had not the local Roman governor interfered.  The action of the sanhedrin aroused Herod’s spirit of revenge, and before long, gathering his forces, he marched against Jerusalem and would have put to death the Jewish leaders had not his father dissuaded him.

The assassination of Caesar in 44 B.C., followed by the battle of Philippi in 42, changed the political horizon of Palestine.  Antipater and his sons, however, following their usual policy, pledged in succession their loyalty to Cassius and Antony, with the result that greater honors were conferred upon them.  It was at this crisis that Malichus, a certain Jewish noble, inspired by jealousy and suspicion, treacherously murdered his rival, Antipater.  Herod retaliated by instigating the assassination of the murderer, but soon a series of calamities swept over Judea which threatened to obliterate completely the house of Antipater.

IV.  The Parthian Conquest.  During the struggle between Antony and the assassins of Julius Caesar Rome’s eastern outposts were left exposed.  Their old foes, the Parthians, improved this opportunity to seize northern Syria.  Encouraged by the presence of the Parthians, Antigonus, the younger son of Aristobulus, in 41 B.C. entered Palestine.  With the aid of the Parthians and of the Jews who were opposed to