I. SALOME, Daughter of Antipater, and Sister of Herod the Great; she was one of the wickedest Women that have been Jos. Antiq. l. 15. c.4.p.517.known. She first married Joseph, whom she accused of too great Familiarities with Mariamne the Wife of Herod. This suspicious Prince put Joseph to Death, without so much as hearing his Defence; having found, by the Confession of Mariamne herself, that Joseph had discover’d a Secret to her, which no one knew but himself and Herod. Salome afterwards marry’d Costobarus; but being afterwards disgusted with Jos. Antiq. l. 15. c.9.p.532.him, she put him away, by an Example ‘till then unheard-of among the Jews, whose Law (says Josephus) allows Men to put away their Wives, but does not allow the Women the same Liberty. After this, she accused him of Treason against Herod, who put him to Death.
She caus’d much Division and Trouble in Herod’s Family, by her Calumnies and mischievous Informations; and she may be look’d upon as the chief Author of the Jos. Antiq. l. 16. c.6. l. 17. c.7.Death of the Princes Alexander and Aristobulus, and of their Mother Mariamne. Salome conceived a violent Passion for an ArabianJos. Antiq. l. 16. c. 11. Prince call’d Silläus, whom she would have marry’d, against her Brother Herod’s Consent. She us’d to see him with so little Caution, that every Body was offended at it. And when Herod made her marry one Jos. Antiq. l. 17. c. 1.call’d Alexas, she still continued her Inclination for Silläus. Salome survived Herod, who, by his Will, left her the Cities of Jos. Antiq. l. 17. c. 10. p. 559.Jamnia, Azoth, and Phasaelis, with fiftythousand Pieces of Money. She favour’d Antipas against Archelaus, and died in the 12th Year of Jesus Christ, and the 9th of Jos. de Bell. l. 2. c.2.p.776. Jos. Antiq. l. 18. c.3.p.619.the Vulgar Era, a little time after Archelaus had been banish’d to Vienne in Dauphine. A few Days before Herod died, he gave Orders to his Sister Salome, and his Brother-in-law Alexas, that, as soon as he should be dead, they Jos. Antiq. l. 17. c.8.p.598.should put to Death all the chief Men of Judea, whom, a little before, he had brought together to Jericho, where he lay sick. But Alexas and Salome could not perpetrate so barbarous an Action, but sent all the Men away, as soon as Herod had given up the Ghost. Salome had five Children by Alexas; Berenice, Antipater, Calleas, and one Son and Daughter more, whose Names we do not find mentioned.