VI. JOSEPH, husband to Salome, Herod the Great’s sister, was appointed governor of Judea in the absence of this Prince; and when he departed, in order to go and justify himself to Mark Antony, with relation to the death of young Aristobulus, Mariamne’s brother, he left a severe order with Joseph, that in case Antony should put him to death, he should not fail likewise to kill Mariamne, lest after his decease she should fall into the power of any other. But Joseph having imprudently Joseph. Antiq. discovered the order which he had l. 15. c. 4. p. 515,
516. received, to Mariamne, thinking thereby to convince her of the extreme passion which Herod had for her, Mariamne thereupon conceived a fresh aversion to her husband, and Herod no sooner returned, but she bitterly reproached him for it. From that moment Herod began to distrust his wife’s fidelity, and to suspect Joseph of having had too great familiarity with her; because he revealed a secret to her of such importance. Wherefore without so much as hearing him, he immediately dispatched him.