In the year of J.C. 31. In the year of J.C. 36.III. HEROD ANTIPAS, son of Herod the Great, and Malthace, in his father’s last Will was styled, Tetrarch of Galilee and Peræa1. His first wife was the daughter of Aretas King of Arabia, but he afterwards dismissed her, and took his brother Philip’s wife, while his brother was still living, as we have observed in the preceding Article. His divorce from the Arabian King’s daughter, ingaged him in a war with this prince, wherein he was worsted; and the very Jews acknowledged, that this was a just punishment of John the Baptist’s death. As this holy fore-runner of our Antiq. l. 17. c. 7. p. 626, 627.Saviour never ceased exclaiming against his incestuous marriage with Herodias, he ordered him to be seized, and sent him loaded with fetters to the castle of Macheron. Herodias still more exasperated than he, thought of nothing Antiq. l. 18. c. 2.but his destruction. She was afraid that Herod, who was not insensible of this holy man’s reproaches, and sometimes hearkened to him with pleasure, might at last be moved, and dismiss her. While Herod Antipas was once entertaining the Grandees of his Court upon his birth-day, Salome, Herodias’s daughter by Philip her first husband, came into the hall, and there danced so much to the King’s satisfaction, that he promised with an oath to grant whatsoever she should ask of him. Salome consulted her mother; and she directed her to ask nothing else besides the head of John Baptist. The King was concerned at this petition; but at last commanded See Matth. xiv. 3, &c. Mark vi. 17, &c. Matth. xiv. Mark vi. 17.execution to be done, as was desired.
Some time after2, Herodias growing uneasy to see her brother Agrippa have the title of King, while Herod Antipas her husband had no other than that of Tetrarch, pressed Antipas so much, that he determined to make a journey to Rome, with an intention to ask the same dignity of Caius the Emperor. But Caius, prejudiced by several letters, which Agrippa had written against Antipas, deprived him of his Tetrarchy, and banished him to Lions, and from thence into Spain, where Lib. 2. de Bello, c. 16.he died. See above ANTIPAS.
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