Herodias...............................................................................................................................................................1

Gustave Flaubert......................................................................................................................................1

In the eastern side of the Dead Sea rose the citadel of Machaerus. It was built upon a conical peak of basalt,

and was surrounded by four deep valleys, one on each side, another in front, and the fourth in the rear. At the

base of the citadel, crowding against one another, a group of houses stood within the circle of a wall, whose

outlines undulated with the unevenness of the soil. A zigzag road, cutting through the rocks, joined the city to

the fortress, the walls of which were about one hundred and twenty cubits high, having numerous angles and

ornamental towers that stood out like jewels in this crown of stone overhanging an abyss.

Within the high walls stood a palace, adorned with many richly carved arches, and surrounded by a terrace

that on one side of the building spread out below a wide balcony made of sycamore wood, upon which tall

One morning, just before sunrise, the tetrarch, HerodAntipas, came out alone upon the balcony. He leaned

The crests of the hilltops in the valley below the palace were just discernible in the light of the false dawn,

although their bases, extending to the abyss, were still plunged in darkness. A light mist floated in the air;

presently it lifted, and the shores of the Dead Sea became visible. The sun, rising behind Machaerus, spread a

rosy flush over the sky, lighting up the stony shores, the hills, and the desert, and illuming the distant

mountains of Judea, rugged and grey in the early dawn. Engedi, the central point of the group, threw a deep

black shadow; Hebron, in the background, was roundtopped like a dome; Eschol had her pomegranates,

Sorek her vineyards, Carmel her fields of sesame; and the tower of Antonia, with its enormous cube,

dominated Jerusalem. The tetrarch turned his gaze from it to contemplate the palms of Jericho on his right;

and his thoughts dwelt upon other cities of his beloved Galilee,Capernaum, Endor, Nazareth,

The Jordan wound its way through the arid plains that met his gaze; white and glittering under the clear sky,

The Dead Sea now looked like a sheet of lapislazuli; and at its southern extremity, on the coast of Yemen,

Antipas recognised clearly what at first he had been able only dimly to perceive. Several tents could now be

plainly seen; men carrying spears were moving about among a group of horses; and dying campfires shone

This was a troop belonging to the sheikh of the Arabs, the daughter of whom the tetrarch had repudiated in

order to wed Herodias, already married to one of his brothers, who lived in Italy but who had no pretensions

Antipas was waiting for assistance and reinforcements from the Romans, but as Vitellius, the Governor of

Syria, had not yet arrived, he was consumed with impatience and anxiety. Perhaps Agrippa had ruined his

cause with the Emperor, he thought. Philip, his third brother, sovereign of Batania, was arming himself

clandestinely. The Jews were becoming intolerant of the tetrarch's idolatries; he knew that many were weary

of his rule; and he hesitated now between adopting one of two projects: to conciliate the Arabs and win back

their allegiance, or to conclude an alliance with the Parthians. Under the pretext of celebrating his birthday,

he had planned to bring together, at a grand banquet, the chiefs of his troops, the stewards of his domains, and

Antipas threw a keen glance along all the roads leading to Machaerus. They were deserted. Eagles were

sweeping through the air high above his head; the soldiers of the guard, placed at intervals along the

ramparts, slept or dozed, leaning against the walls; all was silent within the castle.

Suddenly he heard the sound of a distant voice, seeming to come from the very depths of the earth. His cheek

paled. After an instant's hesitation, he leaned far over the balcony railing, listening intently, but the voice had

died away. Presently it rose again upon the quiet air; Antipas clapped his hands together loudly, crying:

Instantly a man appeared, naked to the waist, after the fashion of a masseur at the bath. Although emaciated,

and somewhat advanced in years, he was a giant in stature, and on his hip he wore a cutlass in a bronze

scabbard. His bushy hair, gathered up and held in place by a kind of comb, exaggerated the apparent size of

his massive head. His eyes were heavy with sleep, but his white teeth shone, his step was light on the

flagstones, and his body had the suppleness of an ape, although his countenance was as impassive as that of a

And Antipas, after drawing a deep breath, asked for news of Iaokanann, afterwards known as St. John the

Baptist. Had he been allowed to see the two men who had asked permission to visit his dungeon a few days

before, and since that time, had any one discovered for what purpose the men desired to see him?

"They exchanged some strange words with him," Mannaeus replied, "with the mysterious air of robbers

conspiring at the crossroads. Then they departed towards Upper Galilee, saying that they were the bearers of

Antipas bent his head for a moment; then raising it quickly, said in a tone full of alarm:

"Guard him! watch him well! Do not allow any one else to see him. Keep the gates shut and the entrance to

Mannaeus had already attended to all these details, because Iaokanann was a Jew, and, like all the

Their temple on the Mount of Gerizim, which Moses had designed to be the centre of Israel, had been

destroyed since the reign of King Hyrcanus; and the temple at Jerusalem made the Samaritans furious; they

regarded its presence as an outrage against themselves, and a permanent injustice. Mannaeus, indeed, had

forcibly entered it, for the purpose of defiling its altar with the bones of corpses. Several of his companions,

From the tetrarch's balcony, the temple was visible through an opening between two hills. The sun, now fully

risen, shed a dazzling splendour on its walls of snowy marble and the plates of purest gold that formed its

roof. The structure shone like a luminous mountain, and its radiant purity indicated something almost

Mannaeus stretched out his powerful arm towards Zion, and, with clenched fist and his great body drawn to

its full height, he launched a bitter anathema at the city, with perfect faith that eventually his curse must be

Antipas listened, without appearing to be shocked at the strength of the invectives.

When the Samaritan had become somewhat calmer, he returned to the subject of the prisoner.

"Sometimes he grows excited," said he, "then he longs to escape or talks about a speedy deliverance. At other

times he is as quiet as a sick animal, although I often find him pacing to and fro in his gloomy dungeon,

Antipas and Mannaeus looked at each other a moment in silence. But the tetrarch was weary of pondering on

The mountain peaks surrounding the palace, looking like great petrified waves, the black depths among the

cliffs, the immensity of the blue sky, the rising sun, and the gloomy valley of the abyss, filled the soul of

Antipas with a vague unrest; he felt an overwhelming sense of oppression at the sight of the desert, whose

uneven piles of sand suggested crumbling ampitheatres or ruined palaces. The hot wind brought an odour of

sulphur, as if it had rolled up from cities accursed and buried deeper than the riverbed of the slowrunning

These aspects of nature, which seemed to his troubled fancy signs of the wrath of the gods, terrified him, and

he leaned heavily against the balcony railing, his eyes fixed, his head resting upon his hands.

Presently he felt a light touch upon his shoulder. He turned, and saw Herodias standing beside him. A purple

robe enveloped her, falling to her sandaled feet. Having left her chamber hurriedly, she wore no jewels nor

other ornaments. A thick tress of rippling black hair hung over her shoulder and hid itself in her bosom; her

nostrils, a little too large for beauty, quivered with triumph, and her face was alight with joy. She gently

"I know it!" she replied, adding: "It was because he coveted the crown of Caligula."

While living upon the charity of Antipas and Herodias, Agrippa had intrigued to become king, a title for

which the tetrarch was as eager as he. But if this news were true, no more was to be feared from Agrippa's

"The dungeons of Tiberias are hard to open, and sometimes life itself is uncertain within their depths," said

Antipas understood her; and, although she was Agrippa's sister, her atrocious insinuation seemed entirely

justifiable to the tetrarch. Murder and outrage were to be expected in the management of political intrigues;

they were a part of the fatal inheritance of royal houses; and in the family of Herodias nothing was more

Then she rapidly unfolded to the tetrarch the secrets of her recent undertakings, telling him how many men

had been bribed, what letters had been intercepted, and the number of spies stationed at the city gates. She did

not hesitate even to tell him of her success in an attempt to befool and seduce Eutyches the denunciator.

"And why should I not?" she said; "it cost me nothing. For thee, my lord, have I not done more than that? Did

After her divorce from Philip, she had indeed left her daughter in Rome, hoping that, as the wife of the

tetrarch, she might bear other children. Until that moment she had never spoken to Antipas of her daughter.

During their brief conversation several attendants had come out upon the balcony; one slave brought a

quantity of large, soft cushions, and arranged them in a kind of temporary couch upon the floor behind his

mistress. Herodias sank upon them, and turning her face away from Antipas, seemed to be weeping silently.

After a few moments she dried her eyes, declared that she would dream no more, and that she was, in reality,

perfectly happy. She reminded Antipas of their former long delightful interviews in the atrium; their meetings

at the baths; their walks along the Sacred Way, and the sweet evening rendezvous at the villa, among the

flowery groves, listening to the murmur of splashing fountains, within sight of the Roman Campagna. Her

glances were as tender as in former days; she drew near to him, leaned against his breast and caressed him

But he repelled her soft advances. The love she sought to rekindle had died long ago. He thought instead of

all his misfortunes, and of the twelve long years during which the war had continued. Protracted anxiety had

visibly aged the tetrarch. His shoulders were bent beneath his violetbordered toga; his whitening locks were

long and mingled with his beard, and the sunlight revealed many lines upon his brow, as well as upon that of

Herodias. After the tetrarch's repulse of his wife's tender overtures, the pair gazed morosely at each other.

The mountain paths began to show signs of life. Shepherds were driving their flocks to pasture; children

urged heavyladen donkeys along the roads; while grooms belonging to the palace led the horses to the river

to drink. The wayfarers descending from the heights on the farther side of Machaerus disappeared behind the

castle; others ascended from the valleys, and after arriving at the palace deposited their burdens in the

courtyard. Many of these were purveyors to the tetrarch; others were the servants of his expected guests,

Suddenly, at the foot of the terrace on the left, an Essene appeared; he wore a white robe, his feet were bare,

and his demeanour indicated that he was a follower of the Stoics. Mannaeus instantly rushed towards the

The two men stood motionless for an instant, then they descended the terrace, both taking a different

"I know that man," said Herodias, after they had disappeared. "His name is Phanuel, and he will try to seek

Antipas said that the man might some day be useful to them. His attacks upon Jerusalem would gain them the

"No," said Herodias, "the Jews will accept any master, and are incapable of feeling any true patriotism." She

added that, as for the man who was trying to influence the people with hopes cherished since the days of

The tetrarch replied that there was no haste about the matter, and expressed his doubt that any real danger

"Do not deceive thyself!" exclaimed Herodias. And she retold the story of her humiliation one day when she

was travelling towards Gilead, in order to purchase some of the balm for which that region was famous.

"A multitude was standing on the banks of the stream, my lord; many of the people were putting on their

raiment. Standing on a hillock, a strange man was speaking to the gathering. A camel'sskin was wrapped

about his loins, and his head was like that of a lion. As soon as he saw me, he launched in my direction all the

maledictions of the prophets. His eyes flamed, his voice shook, he raised his arms as if he would draw down

lightning upon my head. I could not fly from him; the wheels of my chariot sank in the sand up to the middle;

and I could only crawl along, hiding my head with my mantle, and frozen with terror at the curses that poured

Continuing her harangue, she declared that the knowledge that this man still existed poisoned her very life.

When he had been seized and bound with cords, the soldiers were prepared to stab him if he resisted, but he

had been quite gentle and obedient. After he had been thrown into prison some one had put venomous

serpents into his dungeon, but strange to say, after a time they had died, leaving him uninjured. The inanity of

such tricks exasperated Herodias. Besides, she inquired, why did this man make war upon her? What interest

moved him to such actions? His injurious words to her, uttered before a throng of listeners, had been repeated

and widely circulated; she heard them whispered everywhere. Against a legion of soldiers she would have

been brave; but this mysterious influence, more pernicious and powerful than the sword, but impossible to

grasp, was maddening! Herodias strode to and fro upon the terrace, white with rage, unable to find words to

She had a haunting fear that the tetrarch might listen to public opinion after a time, and persuade himself it

was his duty to repudiate her. Then, indeed, all would be lost! Since early youth she had cherished a dream

that some day she would rule over a great empire. As an important step towards attaining this ambition, she

had deserted Philip, her first husband, and married the tetrarch, who now she thought had duped her.

"Ah! I found a powerful support, indeed, when I entered thy family!" she sneered.

Herodias felt the blood of the kings and priests, her ancestors, boiling in her veins.

"Thy grandfather was a servile attendant upon the temple of Ascalon!" she went on, with fury. "Thy other

ancestors were shepherds, bandits, conductors of caravans, a horde of slaves offered as tribute to King David!

My forefathers were the conquerors of thine! The first of the Maccabees drove thy people out of Hebron;

Hyrcanus forced them to be circumcised!" Then, with all the contempt of the patrician for the plebeian, the

hatred of Jacob for Esau, she reproached him for his indifference towards palpable outrages to his dignity, his

weakness regarding the Phoenicians, who had been false to him, and his cowardly attitude towards the people

"But thou art like them!" she cried; "Dost regret the loss of the Arab girl who danced upon these very

pavements? Take her back! Go and live with herin her tent! Eat her bread, baked in the ashes! Drink

The tetrarch had already forgotten her presence, it appeared. He paid no further heed to her anger, but looked

intently at a young girl who had just stepped out upon the balcony of a house not far away. At her side stood

an elderly female slave, who held over the girl's head a kind of parasol with a handle made of long, slender

reeds. In the middle of the rug spread upon the floor of the balcony stood a large open travellinghamper or

basket, and girdles, veils, headdresses, and gold and silver ornaments were scattered about in confusion. At

intervals the young girl took one object or another in her hands, and held it up admiringly. She was dressed in

the costume of the Roman ladies, with a flowing tunic and a peplum ornamented with tassels of emeralds;

and blue silken bands confined her hair, which seemed almost too luxuriant, since from time to time she

raised a small hand to push back the heavy masses. The parasol half hid the maiden from the gaze of Antipas,

but now and then he caught a glimpse of her delicate neck, her large eyes, or a fleeting smile upon her small

mouth. He noted that her figure swayed about with a singularly elastic grace and elegance. He leaned

forward, his eyes kindled, his breath quickened. All this was not lost upon Herodias, who watched him

Herodias replied that she did not know, and her fierce demeanour suddenly changed to one of gentleness and

At the entrance to the castle the tetrarch was awaited by several Galileans, the master of the scribes, the chief

of the land stewards, the manager of the salt mines, and a Jew from Babylon, commanding his troops of

horse. As the tetrarch approached the group, he was greeted with respectful enthusiasm. Acknowledging the

As he proceeded along one of the corridors, Phanuel suddenly sprang from a corner and intercepted him.

"What! Art thou still here?" said the tetrarch in displeasure. "Thou seekest Iaokanann, no doubt."

At a sign from Antipas, the Essene followed him into a somewhat dark and gloomy room.

The daylight came faintly through a grated window. The walls were of a deep shade of crimson, so dark as to

look almost black. At one end of the room stood an ebony bed, ornamented with bands of leather. A shield of

gold, hanging at the head of the bed, shone like a sun in the obscurity of the apartment. Antipas crossed over

to the couch and threw himself upon it in a halfreclining attitude, while Phanuel remained standing before

"At times, my lord, the Most High sends a message to the people through one of His sons. Iaokanann is one

"But it is he that persecutes me!" exclaimed Antipas. "He asked me to do a thing that was impossible. Since

then he has done nothing but revile me. And I was not severe with him when he began his abuse of me. But

he had the hardihood to send various men from Machaerus to spread dissension and discontent throughout

"Without doubt, he has expressed his anger with too much violence," Phanuel replied calmly. "But do not

"Have no fear of him now," was the quick reply. "He will go straight to the Arabs, the Gauls, and the

For a moment Antipas appeared lost in thought, as one who sees a vision. Then he said:

But the tetrarch shook his head. He feared Herodias, Mannaeus, and unknown dangers.

Phanuel tried to persuade him, promising, as a guaranty of the honesty of his projects, the submission of the

Essenians to the King. These poor people, clad only in linen, untameable in spite of severe treatment,

endowed with the power to divine the future by reading the stars, had succeeded in commanding a certain

"What is the important matter thou wouldst communicate to me?" Antipas inquired, with sudden recollection.

Before Phanuel could reply, a Negro entered the room in great haste. He was covered with dust, and panted

Throughout the palace, doors were opening and closing and portieres were swaying as if in a high wind, with

the coming and going of many persons; there was a murmur of voices; sounds of the moving of heavy

furniture could be heard, and the rattle of silver plates and dishes. From the highest tower a loud blast upon a

The ramparts were thronged with people when at last Vitellius entered the castle gates, leaning on the arm of

his interpreter. Behind them came an imposing red litter, decorated with plumes and mirrors. The proconsul

wore a toga ornamented with the laticlave, a broad purple band extending down the front of the garment,

indicating his rank; and his feet were encased in the kind of buskins worn by consuls. A guard of lictors

surrounded him. Against the wall they placed their twelve fascesa bundle of sticks with an axe in the

The gorgeous litter, borne by eight men, came to a halt. From it descended a youth. He wore many pearls

upon his fingers, but he had a protruding abdomen and his face was covered with pimples. A cup of aromatic

The tetrarch had fallen upon his knees before the proconsul, saying that he was grieved beyond words not to

have known sooner of the favour of his presence within those domains; had he been aware of the approach of

his distinguished guest, he would have issued a command that every person along the route should place

himself at the proconsul's orders. Of a surety, the proconsul's family was descended direct from the goddess

Vitellia. A highway, leading from the Janiculum to the sea, still bore their name. Questors and consuls were

innumerable in that great family; and as for the noble Lucius, now his honoured guest, it was the duty of the

whole people to thank him, as the conqueror of the Cliti and the father of the young Aulus, now returning to

his own domain, since the East was the country of the gods. These hyperboles were expressed in Latin, and

He replied that the great Herod was the honour and glory of the nation; that the Athenians had chosen him to

direct the Olympian games; that he had built temples in the honour of Augustus; had been patient, ingenious,

Between the two marble columns, with bronze capitals, Herodias could now be seen advancing with the air of

an empress, in the midst of a group of women and eunuchs carrying perfumed torches set in sockets of

The proconsul advanced three steps to meet her. She saluted him with an inclination of her head.

"How fortunate," she exclaimed, "that henceforth Agrippa, the enemy of Tiberius, can work harm no longer!"

Vitellius did not understand her allusion, but he thought her a dangerous woman. Antipas immediately

He had taken hostages from the king of the Parthians, but the emperor had given no further thought to the

matter, because Antipas, who had been present at the conference, had, in order to gain favour, sent off

despatches bearing the news. From that time he had borne a profound hatred towards the emperor and had

The tetrarch stammered in attempting to reply to the query of the proconsul. But Aulus laughed and said: "Do

The proconsul feigned not to hear this remark. The fortune of the father depended, in a way, on the corrupt

influence of the son; and through him it was possible that Antipas might be able to procure for the proconsul

very substantial benefits, although the glances that he cast about him were defiant, and even venomous.

But now a new tumult arose just within the gates. A file of white mules entered the courtyard, mounted by

men in priestly garb. These were the Sadducees and the Pharisees, who were drawn to Machaerus by the

same ambition: the one party hoping to be appointed public sacrificers, the other determined to retain those

offices. Their faces were dark, particularly those of the Pharisees, who were enemies of Rome and of the

tetrarch. The flowing skirts of their tunics embarrassed their movements as they attempted to pass through the

throng; and their tiaras sat unsteadily upon their brows, around which were bound small bands of parchment,

Almost at the same moment, the soldiers of the advance guard arrived. Cloth coverings had been drawn over

their glittering shields to protect them from the dust. Behind them came Marcellus, the proconsul's lieutenant,

Antipas named to Vitellius the principle personages surrounding them: Tolmai, Kanthera, Schon, Ammonius

of Alexandria, who brought asphalt for Antipas; Naaman, captain of his troops of skirmishers, and Jacim, the

The tetrarch by a significant gesture indicated that Mannaeus was the executioner. He then presented the

Jonathas, a man of low stature, who spoke Greek, advanced with a firm step and begged that the great lord

would honour Jerusalem with a visit. Vitellius replied that he should probably go to Jerusalem soon.

Eleazar, who had a crooked nose and a long beard, put forth a claim, in behalf of the Pharisees, for the mantle

Then the Galileans came forward and denounced Pontius Pilate. On one occasion, they said, a madman

went seeking in a cave near Samaria for the golden vases that had belonged to King David, and Pontius Pilate

had caused several inhabitants of that region to be executed. In their excitement all the Galileans spoke at

once, Mannaeus's voice being heard above all others. Vitellius promised that the guilty ones should be

Fresh vociferations now broke out in front of the great gates, where the soldiers had hung their shields. Their

coverings having now been removed, on each shield a carving of the head of Caesar could be seen on the

umbo, or central knob. To the Jews, this seemed an evidence of nothing short of idolatry. Antipas harangued

them, while Vitellius, who occupied a raised seat within the shadow of the colonnade, was astonished at their

fury. Tiberius had done well, he thought, to exile four hundred of these people to Sardinia. Presently the Jews

Then the multitude surrounded the proconsul, imploring him to abolish certain unjust laws, asking for

privileges, or begging for alms. They rent their clothing and jostled one another; and at last, in order to drive

them back, several slaves, armed with long staves, charged upon them, striking right and left. Those nearest

the gates made their escape and descended to the road; others rushed in to take their place, so that two

streams of human beings flowed in and out, compressed within the limits of the gateway.

Vitellius demanded the reason for the assembling of so great a throng. Antipas explained that they had been

invited to come to a feast in celebration of his birthday; and he pointed to several men who, leaning against

the battlements, were hauling up immense basketloads of food, fruits, vegetables, antelopes, and storks;

large fish, of a brilliant shade of blue; grapes, melons, and pyramids of pomegranates. At this sight, Aulus left

the courtyard and hastened to the kitchens, led by his taste for gormandizing, which later became the

As they passed the opening to a small cellar, Vitellius perceived some objects resembling breastplates

hanging on a wall. He looked at them with interest, and then demanded that the subterranean chambers of the

fortress be thrown open for his inspection. These chambers were cut into the rocky foundation of the castle,

and had been formed into vaults, with pillars set at regular distances. The first vault opened contained old

armour; the second was full of pikes, with long points emerging from tufts of feathers. The walls of the third

chamber were hung with a kind of tapestry made of slender reeds, laid in perpendicular rows. Those of the

fourth were covered with scimitars. In the middle of the fifth cell, rows of helmets were seen, the crests of

which looked like a battalion of fiery serpents. The sixth cell contained nothing but empty quivers; the

seventh, greaves for protecting the legs in battle; the eighth vault was filled with bracelets and armlets; and an

examination of the remaining vaults disclosed forks, grapplingirons, ladders, cords, even catapults, and bells

for the necks of camels; and as they descended deeper into the rocky foundation, it became evident that the

whole mass was a veritable honeycomb of cells, and that below those already seen were many others.

Vitellius, Phineas, his interpreter, and Sisenna, chief of the publicans, walked among these gloomy cells,

In the deep shadows hideous instruments, invented by barbarians, could be seen: tomahawks studded with

nails; poisoned javelins; pincers resembling the jaws of crocodiles; in short, the tetrarch possessed in his

He had accumulated these weapons in anticipation of an alliance against him among his enemies. But he

bethought him that the proconsul might believe, or assert, that he had collected this armoury in order to attack

the Romans; so he hastened to offer explanations of all that Vitellius had observed.

Some of these things did not belong to him at all, he said: many of them were necessary to defend the place

against brigands and marauders, especially the Arabs. Many of the objects in the vault had been the property

of his father, and he had allowed them to remain untouched. As he spoke, he managed to get in advance of

the proconsul and preceded him along the corridors with rapid steps. Presently he halted and stood close

against the wall as the party came up; he spoke quickly, standing with his hands on his hips, so that his

voluminous mantle covered a wide space of the wall behind him. But just above his head the top of a door

was visible. Vitellius remarked it instantly, and demanded to know what it concealed.

The tetrarch explained that the door was fastened, and that none could open it save the Babylonian, Jacim.

The father of Jacim had come from the banks of the Euphrates to offer his services, as well as those of five

hundred horsemen, in the defence of the eastern frontier. After the division of the kingdom, Jacim had lived

Presently he appeared among the vaults, carrying an archer's bow on his shoulder and a whip in his hand.

Cords of many colours were lashed tightly about his knotted legs; his massive arms were thrust through a

sleeveless tunic, and a fur cap shaded his face. His chin was covered with a heavy, curling beard.

He appeared not to comprehend what the interpreter said to him at first. But Vitellius threw a meaning glance

at Antipas, who quickly made the Babylonian understand the command of the proconsul. Jacim immediately

laid both his hands against the door, giving it a powerful shove; whereupon it quietly slid out of sight into the

A wave of hot air surged from the depths of the cavern. A winding path descended and turned abruptly. The

group followed it, and soon arrived at the threshold of a kind of grotto, somewhat larger than the other

An arched window at the back of this chamber gave directly upon a precipice, which formed a defence for

one side of the castle. A honeysuckle vine, cramped by the lowstudded ceiling, blossomed bravely. The

sound of a running stream could be heard distinctly. In this place was a great number of beautiful white

horses, perhaps a hundred. They were eating barley from a plank placed on a level with their mouths. Their

manes had been coloured a deep blue; their hoofs were wrapped in coverings of woven grass, and the hair

between their ears was puffed out like a peruke. As they stood quietly eating, they switched their tails gently

They were indeed wonderful animals; supple as serpents, light as birds. They were trained to gallop rapidly,

following the arrow of the rider, and dash into the midst of a group of the enemy, overturning men and biting

them savagely as they fell. They were surefooted among rocky passes, and would jump fearlessly over

yawning chasms; and, while ready to gallop across the plains a whole day without tiring, they would stop

As soon as Jacim entered their quarters, they trotted up to him, as sheep crowd around the shepherd; and,

thrusting forward their sleek necks, they looked at him with a gaze like that of inquiring children. From force

of habit, he emitted a raucous cry, which excited them; they pranced about, impatient at their confinement

Antipas, fearing that if Vitellius knew of the existence of these creatures, he would take them away, had shut

"This close confinement cannot be good for them," said Vitellius, "and there is a risk of losing them by

The publican drew a writingtablet from the folds of his robe, counted the horses, and recorded the number

It was the habit of the agents of the fiscal companies to corrupt the governors in order to pillage the

provinces. Sisenna was among the most flourishing of these agents, and was seen everywhere with his

After a time the party returned to the court. Heavy, round bronze lids, sunk in the stones of the pavement,

covered the cisterns of the palace. Vitellius noticed that one of these was larger than the others, and that when

struck by his foot it had not their sonority. He struck them all, one after another; then stamped upon the

The tetrarch hesitated to obey, fearing that the Jews would discover his secret. His reluctance to lift the cover

"Break it in!" he cried to his lictors. Mannaeus heard the command, and, seeing a lictor step forward armed

with a hatchet, he feared that the man intended to behead Iaokanann. He stayed the hand of the lictor after the

first blow, and then slipped between the heavy lid and the pavement a kind of hook. He braced his long, lean

arms, raised the cover slowly, and in a moment it lay flat upon the stones. The bystanders admired the

Under the bronze lid was a wooden trapdoor of the same size. At a blow of the fist it folded back, allowing a

wide hole to be seen, the mouth of an immense pit, with a flight of winding steps leading down into the

darkness. Those that bent over to peer into the cavern beheld a vague and terrifying shape in its depths.

This proved to be a human being, lying on the ground. His long locks hung over a camel'shair robe that

covered his shoulders. Slowly he rose to his feet. His head touched a grating embedded in the wall; and as he

The rich tiaras of the Romans sparkled brilliantly in the sunlight, and their glittering swordhilts threw out

glancing golden rays. The doves, flying from their cotes, circled above the heads of the multitude. It was the

hour when Mannaeus was accustomed to feed them. But now he crouched beside the tetrarch, who stood near

Vitellius. The Galileans, the priests, and the soldiers formed a group behind them; all were silent, waiting

Herodias heard it from the farther end of the palace. Drawn by an irresistible though terrible fascination, she

made her way through the throng, and, reaching Mannaeus, she leant one hand on his shoulder and bent over

"Woe to thee, Sadducees and Pharisees! Thy voices are like the tinkling of cymbals! O race of vipers,

The voice of Iaokanann was recognised. His name was whispered about. Spectators from a distance pressed

"Woe to thee, O people! Woe to the traitors of Judah, and to the drunkards of Ephraim, who dwelt in the

"May they disappear like running water; like the slug that sinks into the sand as it moves; like an abortion that

"And thou too, Moab! hide thyself in the midst of the cypress, like the sparrow; in caverns, like the wild hare!

The gates of the fortress shall be crushed more easily than nutshells; the walls shall crumble; cities shall

burn; and the scourge of God shall not cease! He shall cause your bodies to be bathed in your own blood, like

wool in the dyer's vat. He shall rend you, as with a harrow; He shall scatter the remains of your bodies from

Of which conqueror was he speaking? Was it Vitellius? Only the Romans could bring about such an

extermination. The people began to cry out: "Enough! enough! let him speak no more!"

"Beside the corpses of their mothers, thy little ones shall drag themselves over the ashes of the burned cities.

At night men will creep from their hidingplaces to seek a bit of food among the ruins, even at the risk of

being cut down with the sword. Jackals shall pick thy bones in the public places, where at eventide the fathers

were wont to gather. At the bidding of Gentiles, thy maidens shall be forced to cease their lamentations and to

make music upon the zither, and the bravest of thy sons shall learn to bend their backs, chafed with heavy

The listeners remembered the days of exile, and all the misfortunes and catastrophes of the past. These words

were like the anathemas of the ancient prophets. The captive thundered them forth like bolts from heaven.

Presently his voice became almost as sweet and harmonious as if he were uttering a chant. He spoke of the

world's redemption from sin and sorrow; of the glories of heaven; of gold in place of clay; of the desert

blossoming like the rose. "That which is now worth sixty pieces of silver will not cost a single obol.

Fountains of milk shall spring from the rocks; men shall sleep, well satisfied, among the wine presses. The

people shall prostrate themselves before Thee, and Thy reign shall be eternal, O Son of David!"

The tetrarch suddenly recoiled from the opening of the pit; the mention of the existence of a son of David

Iaokanann then poured forth invectives against him for presuming to aspire to royalty.

"There is no other king than the Eternal God!" he cried; and he cursed Antipas for his luxurious gardens, his

statues, his furniture of carved ivory and precious woods, comparing him to the impious Ahab.

Antipas broke the slender cord attached to the royal seal that he wore around his neck, and throwing the seal

But Iaokanann replied: "I shall cry aloud like a savage bear, like the wild ass, like a woman in travail! The

punishment of heaven has already visited itself upon thy incest! May God inflict thee with the sterility of

At these words, a sound of suppressed laughter arose here and there among the listeners.

Vitellius had remained close to the opening of the dungeon while Iaokanann was speaking. His interpreter, in

impassive tones, translated into the Roman tongue all the threats and invectives that rolled up from the depths

of the gloomy prison. The tetrarch and Herodias felt compelled to remain near at hand. Antipas listened,

breathing heavily; while the woman, with parted lips, gazed into the darkness of the pit, her face drawn with

The terrible man now turned towards her. He grasped the bars of his prison, pressed against them his bearded

"Ah! Is it thou, Jezebel? Thou hast captured thy lord's heart with the tinkling of thy feet. Thou didst neigh to

him like a mare. Thou didst prepare thy bed on the mountain top, in order to accomplish thy sacrifices!

"The Lord shall take from thee thy sparkling jewels, thy purple robes and fine linen; the bracelets from thine

arms, the anklets from thy feet; the golden ornaments that dangle upon thy brow, thy mirrors of polished

silver, thy fans of ostrich plumes, thy shoes with their heels of motherofpearl, that serve to increase thy

stature; thy glittering diamonds, the scent of thy hair, the tint of thy nails, all the artifices of thy coquetry

shall disappear, and missiles shall be found wherewith to stone the adulteress!"

Herodias looked around for some one to defend her. The Pharisees lowered their eyes hypocritically. The

Sadducees turned away their heads, fearing to offend the proconsul should they appear to sympathise with

Louder still rose the voice from the dungeon; the neighbouring hills gave back an echo with startling effect,

"Prostrate thyself in the dust, daughter of Babylon, and scourge thyself! Remove thy girdle and thy shoes,

gather up thy garments and walk through the flowing stream; thy shame shall follow thee, thy disgrace shall

be known to all men, thy bosom shall be rent with sobs. God execrates the stench of thy crimes! Accursed

At that instant the trapdoor was suddenly shut down and secured by Mannaeus, who would have liked to

Herodias glided away and disappeared within the palace. The Pharisees were scandalised at what they had

heard. Antipas, standing among them, attempted to justify his past conduct and to excuse his present

"Without doubt," said Eleazar, "it was necessary for him to marry his brother's wife; but Herodias was not a

widow, and besides, she had a child, which she abandoned; and that was an abomination."

"You are wrong," objected Jonathas the Sadducee; "the law condemns such marriages but does not actually

"What matters it? All the world shows me injustice," said Antipas, bitterly; "and why? Did not Absalom lie

with his father's wives, Judah with his daughterinlaw, Ammon with his sister, and Lot with his daughters?"

Aulus, who had been reposing within the palace, now reappeared in the court. After he had heard how matters

stood, he approved of the attitude of the tetrarch. "A man should never allow himself to be annoyed," said he,

"by such foolish criticism." And he laughed at the censure of the priests and the fury of Iaokanann, saying

Herodias, who also had reappeared, and now stood at the top of a flight of steps, called loudly:

"Is that true?" he demanded. The general response was affirmative, Antipas adding his word to the

Vitellius had a misgiving that the prisoner might be able to escape; and as the conduct of Antipas appeared to

him rather suspicious, he established his own sentinels at the gates, at intervals along the walls, and in the

At last he retired to the apartments assigned to him, accompanied by the priests. Without touching directly

upon the question of the coveted offices of public sacrificers, each one laid his own grievances before the

proconsul. They fairly beset him with complaints and requests, but he soon dismissed them from his

As Jonathas left the proconsul's apartments he perceived Antipas standing under an arch, talking to an

Essene, who wore a long white robe and flowing locks. Jonathas regretted that he had raised his voice in

One thought now consoled HerodAntipas. He was no longer personally responsible for the fate of

Iaokanann. The Romans had assumed that charge. What a relief! He had noticed Phanuel pacing slowly

through the court, and calling him to his side, he pointed put the guards established by Vitellius, saying:

"They are stronger than I! I cannot now set the prisoner free! It is not my fault if he remains in his dungeon."

The courtyard was empty. The slaves were sleeping. The day was drawing to a close, and the sunset spread a

deep rosy glow over the horizon, against which the smallest objects stood out like silhouettes. Antipas was

able to distinguish the excavations of the saltmines at the farther end of the Dead Sea, but the tents of the

Arabs were no longer visible. As the moon rose, the effect of the day's excitement passed away, and a feeling

Phanuel, also wearied by the recent agitating scenes, remained beside the tetrarch. He sat in silence for some

time, his chin resting on his breast. At last he spoke in confidence to Antipas, and revealed what he had

From the beginning of the month, he said, he had been studying the heavens every morning before daybreak,

when the constellation of Perseus was at the zenith; Agalah was scarcely visible; Algol was even less bright;

MiraCetus had disappeared entirely; from all of which he augured the death of some man of great

Who was the man? Vitellius was too closely guarded to be reached. No one would kill Iaokanann.

It might be that the Arabs would return and make a successful attack upon him. Perhaps the proconsul would

discover his relations with the Parthians. Several men whom Antipas had recognised as hired assassins from

Jerusalem, had escorted the priests in the train of the proconsul; they all carried daggers concealed beneath

their robes. The tetrarch had no doubt whatever of the exactness of Phanuel's skill in astrology.

Suddenly he bethought him of Herodias. He would consult her. He hated her, certainly, but she might give

him courage; and besides, in spite of his dislike, not all the bonds were yet broken of that sorcery which once

When he entered her chamber, he was met by the pungent odour of cinnamon burning in a porphyry vase and

the perfume of powders, unguents, cloudlike gauzes and embroideries light as feathers, filled the air with

He did not speak of Phanuel's prophecy, nor of his own fear of the Jews and the Arabs. Herodias had already

accused him of cowardice. He spoke only of the Romans, and complained that Vitellius had not confided to

him any of his military projects. He said he supposed the proconsul was the friend of Caligula, who often

visited Agrippa; and expressed a surmise that he himself might be exiled, or that perhaps his throat would be

Herodias, who now treated him with a kind of disdainful indulgence, tried to reassure him. At last she took

from a small casket a curious medallion, ornamented with a profile of Tiberius. The sight of it, she said, as

she gave it to Antipas, would make the lictors turn pale and silence all accusing voices.

Antipas, filled with gratitude, asked her how the medallion had come into her possession.

At that moment Antipas beheld a bare arm slipping through a portiere hanging in front of him. It was the arm

of a youthful woman, as graceful in outline as if carved from ivory by Polyclitus. With a movement a little

awkward and at the same time charming, it felt about the wall an instant, as if seeking something, then took

An elderly female attendant passed quietly through the room, lifted the portiere, and went out. A sudden

The great banquetinghall was filled with guests. This apartment had three naves, like a basilica, which were

separated by columns of sandalwood, whose capitals were of sculptured bonze. On each side of the apartment

was a gallery for spectators, and a third, with a facade of gold filigree, was at one end, opposite an immense

The candelabra burning on the tables, which were spread the whole length of the banquetinghall, glowed

like clusters of flaming flowers among the painted cups, the plates of shining copper, the cubes of snow and

heaps of luscious grapes. Through the large windows the guests could see lighted torches on the terraces of

the neighbouring houses; for this night Antipas was giving a feast to his friends, his own people, and to

The slaves, alert as dogs, glided about noiselessly in felt sandals, carrying dishes to and fro.

The table of the proconsul was placed beneath the gilded balcony upon a platform of sycamore wood. Rich

tapestries from Babylon were hung about the pavilion, giving a certain effect of seclusion.

Upon three ivory couches, one facing the great hall, and the other two placed one on either side of the

pavilion, reclined Vitellius, his son Aulus, and Antipas; the proconsul being near the door, at the left, Aulus

Antipas wore a heavy black mantle, the texture of which was almost hidden by coloured embroideries and

glittering decorations; his beard was spread out like a fan; blue powder had been scattered over his hair, and

on his head rested a diadem covered with precious stones. Vitellius still wore the purple band, the emblem of

Aulus had tied behind his back the sleeves of his violet robe, embroidered with silver. His clustering curls

were laid in carefully arranged rows; a necklace of sapphires gleamed against his throat, plump and white as

that of a woman. Crouched upon a rug near him, with legs crossed was a pretty white boy, upon whose face

shone a perpetual smile. Aulus had found him somewhere among the kitchens and had taken a violent fancy

to him. He had made the child one of his suite, but as he never could remember his protege's Chaldean name,

called him simply "the Asiatic." From time to time the little fellow sprang up and played about the

At one side of the tetrarch's pavilion were the tables at which were seated his priests and officers; also a

number of persons from Jerusalem, and the more important men from the Grecian cities. At the table on the

left of the proconsul sat Marcellus with the publicans, several friends of the tetrarch, and various

representatives from Cana, Ptolemais, and Jericho. Seated at other tables were mountaineers from Liban and

many of the old soldiers of Herod's army; a dozen Thracians, a Greek and two Germans; besides huntsmen

and herdsmen, the Sultan of Palmyra, and sailors from Eziongaber. Before each guest was placed a roll of

soft bread, upon which to wipe the fingers. As soon as they were seated, hands were stretched out with the

eagerness of a vulture's claws, seizing upon olives, pistachios, and almonds. Every face was joyous, every

head was crowned with flowers, except those of the Pharisees, who refused to wear the wreaths, regarding

them as a symbol of Roman voluptuousness and vice. They shuddered when the attendants sprinkled them

with galburnum and incense, the use of which the Pharisees reserved strictly for services in the Temple.

Antipas observed that Aulus rubbed himself under the arms, as if annoyed by heat or chafing; and promised

to give him three flasks of the same kind of precious balm that had been used by Cleopatra.

A captain from the garrison of Tiberias who had just arrived, placed himself behind the tetrarch as protection

in case any unexpected trouble should arise. But his attention was divided between observing the movements

"It is said," remarked one of the guests, "that Simon of Gitta washed away his sins in fire. And a certain man

At this a man sprang up from a table near the tetrarch's pavilion, and made his way towards the place where

Eleazar sat. His face was almost as pale as his linen robe, but he addressed the Pharisees boldly, saying: "That

Antipas expressed a longcherished desire to see the man Jesus perform some of his socalled miracles.

"You should have brought him with you," he said to the last speaker, who was still standing. "Tell us what

Then the stranger said that he himself, whose name was Jacob, having a daughter who was very ill, had gone

to Capernaum to implore the Master to heal his child. The Master had answered him, saying: "Return to thy

home: she is healed!" And he had found his daughter standing at the threshold of his house, having risen from

her couch when the gnomon had marked the third hour, the same moment when he had made his supplication

The Pharisees admitted that certain mysterious arts and powerful herbs existed that would heal the sick. It

was said that the marvellous plant known as "baaras" grew even in Machaerus, the power of which rendered

its consumer invulnerable against all attacks; but to cure disease without seeing or touching the afflicted

person was clearly impossible, unless, indeed, the man Jesus called in the assistance of evil spirits.

The friends of Antipas and the men from Galilee nodded wisely, saying: "It is evident that he is aided by

Jacob, standing between their table and that of the priests, maintained a silence at once lofty and respectful.

Jacob leaned over the priests' table, and said slowly, in a half suppressed tone, as if awestruck by his own

The priests stared at one another, and Vitellius demanded the meaning of the word. His interpreter paused a

moment before translating it. Then he said that Messiah was the name to be given to one who was to come,

bringing the enjoyment of all blessings, and giving them domination over all the peoples of the earth. Certain

persons believed that there were to be two Messiahs; one would be vanquished by Gog and Magog, the

demons of the North; but the other would exterminate the Prince of Evil; and for centuries the coming of this

At this, the priests began to talk in low tones among themselves. Eleazar addressed Jacob, saying that it had

always been understood that the Messiah would be a son of David, not of a carpenter; and that he would

confirm the law, whereas this Nazarene attacked it. Furthermore, as a still stronger argument against the

In imagination, all fancied that they could see an old man, a flight of ravens above his head, standing before

an altar, which a flash of lightning illumined, revealing the idolatrous priests that were thrown into the

torrent; and the women, sitting in the galleries, thought of the widow of Sarepta.

Jacob then declared that he knew Elias; that he had seen him, and that many of the guests there assembled

Antipas fell back in his chair as if a heavy blow had struck him on the breast. The Sadducees rose from their

seats and rushed towards Jacob. Eleazar raised his voice to a shout in order to make himself heard. When

order was finally restored, he draped his mantle about his shoulders, and, with the air of a judge, proceeded to

Murmurs interrupted him. Many persons believed that Elias was not dead, but had only disappeared.

The Sadducees shrugged their shoulders. Jonathas, opening wide his little eyes, gave a forced, buffoonlike

laugh. Nothing could be more absurd, said he, than the idea that a human body could have eternal life; and he

declaimed, for the benefit of the proconsul, this line from a contemporaneous poet:

By this time Aulus was leaning over the side of the pavilion, with pale face, a perspiring brow, and both

The Sadducees pretended to be deeply moved at the sight of his suffering, thinking that perhaps the next day

the offices of sacrificers would be theirs. Antipas appeared to be in despair at his guest's agony. Vitellius

preserved a calm demeanour, although he felt some anxiety, for the loss of his son would mean the loss of his

But Aulus, quickly recovering after he had relieved his overburdened stomach, was as eager to eat as before.

"Let some one bring me marbledust," he commanded, "or clay of Naxos, seawateranything! Perhaps it

He swallowed a quantity of snow; then hesitated between a ragout and a dish of blackbirds; and finally

decided in favour of gourds served in honey. The little Asiatic gazed at his master in astonishment and

admiration; to him this exhibition of gluttony denoted a wonderful being belonging to a superior race.

The feast went on. Slaves served the guests with kidneys, dormice, nightingales, mincemeat dressed with

vineleaves. The priests discoursed among themselves regarding the supposed resurrection. Ammonius, pupil

of Philon, the Platonist, pronounced them stupid, and told the Greeks that he laughed at their oracles.

Marcellus and Jacob were seated side by side. Marcellus described the happiness he had felt under the

The wines of the palm and the tamarisk, those of Safed and of Byblos, ran from the amphoras into the

crateras, from the crateras into the cups, and from the cups down the guests' throats. Every one talked, all

hearts expanding under the good cheer. Jacim, although a Jew, did not hesitate to express his admiration of

the planets. A merchant from Aphaka amazed the nomads with his description of the marvels in the temple of

Hierapolis; and they wished to know the cost of a pilgrimage to that place. Others held fast to the principles

of their native religion. A German, who was nearly blind, sang a hymn celebrating that promontory in

Scandinavia where the gods were wont to appear with halos around their heads. The people from Sichem

Several groups stood talking near the middle of the banquetinghall, and the vapour of their breath, mingled

with the smoke from the candles, formed a light mist. Presently Phanuel slipped quietly into the room,

keeping close to the wall. He had been out in the open courtyard, to make another survey of the heavens. He

stopped when he reached the pavilion of the tetrarch, fearing he would be splashed with drops of oil if he

Suddenly violent blows resounded upon the castle gates. The news of the imprisonment of Iaokanann had

spread rapidly, and now it appeared that the whole surrounding population was flocking to the castle. Men

with torches were hastening along the roads in all directions; a black mass of people swarmed in the ravine;

"Less impious than thou!" Antipas retorted. "Was it not my father that erected thy Temple?"

Then the Pharisees, children of the proscribed tribes, partisans of Mattathias, accused the tetrarch of all the

The Pharisees had pointed skulls, bristling beards, feeble hands, snub noses, great round eyes, and their

countenances bore a resemblance to that of a bulldog. A dozen of these people, scribes and attendants upon

the priests, who picked up their living from the refuse of holocausts, rushed to the foot of the pavilion and

threatened Antipas with their knives. He attempted to speak to them, being only slightly protected by some of

the Sadducees. Suddenly he perceived Mannaeus at a distance and made him a sign to approach. The

expression on the face of Vitellius indicated that he regarded all this turmoil as no concern of his.

The Pharisees, leaning against the pavilion, were now beside themselves with demoniac fury. They broke

plates and dashed them upon the floor. The attendants had served them with a ragout composed of the flesh

of the wild ass, an unclean animal, and their anger knew no bounds. Aulus rallied them jeeringly apropos of

the ass's head, which he declared they honoured. He flung other sarcasms at them, regarding their antipathy to

the flesh of swine, intimating that no doubt their hatred arose from the fact that that beast had killed their

beloved Bacchus, and saying it was to be feared they were too fond of wine, since a golden vine had been

The priests did not understand his sneers, and Phineas, of Galilean origin, refused to translate them. Aulus

suddenly became angry, the more so because the little Asiatic, frightened at the tumult, had disappeared. The

feast no longer pleased the noble glutton; the dishes were vulgar, and not sufficiently disguised with delicate

flavourings. After a time his displeasure abated, as he caught sight of a dish of Syrian lambs' tails, dressed

To Vitellius the character of the Jews seemed frightful. Their God was like Moloch, several altars to whom

he had passed upon his route; and he recalled the stories he had heard of the mysterious Jew who fattened

small children and offered them as a sacrifice. His Latin nature was filled with disgust at their intolerance,

their iconoclastic rage, their brutal, stumbling bearing. The proconsul wished to depart, but Aulus refused to

The exaltation of the people increased. They abandoned themselves to dreams of independence. They

recalled the glory of Israel, and a Syrian spoke of all the great conquerors they had vanquished, Antigone,

"Miserable creatures!" cried the enraged proconsul, who had overheard the Syrian's words.

In the midst of the uproar Antipas remembered the medallion of the emperor that Herodias had given to him;

he drew it forth and looked at it a moment, trembling, then held it up with its face turned towards the throng.

At the same moment, the panels of the goldrailed balcony were folded back, and, accompanied by slaves

bearing wax tapers, Herodias appeared, her coiffure crowned with an Assyrian mitre, which was held in place

by a band passing under the chin. Her dark hair fell in ringlets over a scarlet peplum with slashed sleeves. On

either side of the door through which one stepped into the gallery, stood a huge stone monster, like those of

Atrides; and as Herodias appeared between them, she looked like Cybele supported by her lions. In her hands

she carried a patera, a shallow vessel of silver used by the Romans in pouring libations; and, advancing to the

But now, beginning at the farthest end of the banquetinghall, a murmur of surprise and admiration swept

through the multitude. A beautiful young girl had just entered the apartment, and stood motionless for an

Through a drapery of filmy blue gauze that veiled her head and throat, her arched eyebrows, tiny ears, and

ivorywhite skin could be distinguished. A scarf of shotsilk fell from her shoulders, and was caught up at

the waist by a girdle of fretted silver. Her full trousers, of black silk, were embroidered in a pattern of silver

mandragoras, and as she moved forward with indolent grace, her little feet were seen to be shod with slippers

When she arrived in front of the pavilion she removed her veil. Behold! she seemed to be Herodias herself, as

Immediately the damsel began to dance before the tetrarch. Her slender feet took dainty steps to the rhythm

of a flute and a pair of Indian bells. Her round white arms seemed ever beckoning and striving to entice to her

side some youth who was fleeing from her allurements. She appeared to pursue him, with movements light as

a butterfly; her whole mien was like that of an inquisitive Psyche, or a floating spirit that might at any

Presently the plaintive notes of the gingras, a small flute of Phoenician origin, replaced the tinkling bells. The

attitudes of the dancing nymph now denoted overpowering lassitude. Her bosom heaved with sighs, and her

whole being expressed profound languor, although it was not clear whether she sighed for an absent swain or

was expiring of love in his embrace. With halfclosed eyes and quivering form, she caused mysterious

undulations to flow downward over her whole body, like rippling waves, while her face remained impassive

Vitellius compared her to Mnester, the famous pantomimist. Aulus was overcome with faintness. The tetrarch

watched her, lost in a voluptuous reverie, and thought no more of the real Herodias. In fancy he saw her again

But this beautiful thing before him was no vision. The dancer was Salome, the daughter of Herodias, who for

many months her mother had caused to be instructed in dancing, and other arts of pleasing, with the sole idea

of bringing her to Machaerus and presenting her to the tetrarch, so that he should fall in love with her fresh

young beauty and feminine wiles. The plan had proved successful, it seemed; he was evidently fascinated,

And now the graceful dancer appeared transported with the very delirium of love and passion. She danced

like the priestesses of India, like the Nubians of the cataracts, or like the Bacchantes of Lydia. She whirled

about like a flower blown by the tempest. The jewels in her ears sparkled, her swift movements made the

colours of her draperies appear to run into one another. Her arms, her feet, her clothing even, seemed to emit

Suddenly the thrilling chords of a harp rang through the hall, and the throng burst into loud acclamations. All

eyes were fixed on Salome, who paused in her rhythmic dance, placed her feet wide apart, and without

bending the knees, suddenly swayed her lithe body downward, so that her chin touched the floor; and her

whole audience,the nomads, accustomed to a life of privation and abstinence, the Roman soldiers, expert

in debaucheries, the avaricious publicans, and even the crabbed, elderly priestsgazed upon her with dilated

Next she began to whirl frantically around the table where Antipas the tetrarch was seated. He leaned towards

the flying figure, and in a voice half choked with the voluptuous sighs of a mad desire, he sighed: "Come to

me! Come!" But she whirled on, while the music of dulcimers swelled louder and the excited spectators

The tetrarch called again, louder than before: "Come to me! Come! Thou shalt have Capernaum, the plains of

Again the dancer paused; then, like a flash, she threw herself upon the palms of her hands, while her feet rose

straight up into the air. In this bizarre pose she moved about upon the floor like a gigantic beetle; then stood

The nape of her neck formed a right angle with her vertebrae. The full silken skirts of pale hues that

enveloped her limbs when she stood erect, now fell to her shoulders and surrounded her face like a rainbow.

Her lips were tinted a deep crimson, her arched eyebrows were black as jet, her glowing eyes had an almost

terrible radiance; and the tiny drops of perspiration on her forehead looked like dew upon white marble.

She made no sound; and the burning gaze of that multitude of men was concentrated upon her.

A sound like the snapping of fingers came from the gallery over the pavilion. Instantly, with one of her

movements of birdlike swiftness, Salome stood erect. The next moment she rapidly passed up a flight of

steps leading to the gallery, and coming to the front of it she leaned over, smiled upon the tetrarch, and, with

"I ask my lord to give me, placed upon a charger, the head of" She hesitated, as if not certain of the name;

He had bound himself by his promise to her; and the people awaited his next movement. But the death that

night of some conspicuous man that had been predicted to him by Phanuel,what if, by bringing it upon

another, he could avert it from himself, thought Antipas. If Iaokanann was in very truth the Elias so much

talked of, he would have power to protect himself; and if he were only an ordinary man, his murder was of no

Mannaeus stood beside his chair, and read his master's thoughts. Vitellius beckoned him to his side and gave

him an order for the execution, to be transmitted to the soldiers placed on guard over the dungeon. This

But for once Mannaeus did not perform a commission satisfactorily. He left the hall but soon returned, in a

During forty years he had exercised the functions of the public executioner. It was he that had drowned

Aristobulus, strangled Alexander, burned Mattathias alive, beheaded Zozimus, Pappus, Josephus, and

Antipater; but he dared not kill Iaokanann! His teeth chattered and his whole body trembled.

He declared that he had seen, standing before the dungeon, the Angel of the Samaritans, covered with eyes

and brandishing a great sword, glowing and quivering like a flame. He appealed to two of the guards, who

had entered the hall with him, to corroborate his words. But they said they had seen nothing except a Jewish

The fury of Herodias poured forth in a torrent of invective against the populace. She clenched the railing of

the balcony so fiercely as to break her nails; the two stone lions at her back seemed to bite her shoulders and

Antipas followed her example; and priests, soldiers, and Pharisees cried aloud together for vengeance, echoed

by the rest of the gathering, who were indignant that a mere slave should dare to delay their pleasures.

The guests found the second delay longer than the first. It seemed tedious to every one.

Presently a sound of footsteps was heard in the corridor without; then silence fell again. The suspense was

Suddenly the door was flung open and Mannaeus entered, holding at arm's length, grasping it by the hair, the

head of Iaokanann. His appearance was greeted with a burst of applause, which filled him with pride and

He placed the head upon a charger and offered it to Salome, who had descended the steps to receive it. She

remounted to the balcony, with a light step; and in another moment the charger was carried about from one

table to another by the elderly female slave whom the tetrarch had observed in the morning on the balcony of

When she approached him with her ghastly burden, he turned away his head to avoid looking at it. Vitellius

Mannaeus descended from the pavilion, took the charger from the woman, and exhibited the head to the

The sharp blade of the sword had cut into the jaw with a swift downward stroke. The corners of the mouth

were drawn, as if by a convulsion. Clots of blood besprinkled the beard. The closed eyelids had a shelllike

transparency, and the candelabra on every side lighted up the gruesome object with terrible distinctness.

Mannaeus arrived at the table where the priests were seated. One of them turned the charger about curiously,

to look at the head from all sides. Then Mannaeus, having entirely regained his courage, placed the charger

before Aulus, who had just awakened from a short doze; and finally he brought it again to Antipas and set it

down upon the table beside him. Tears were running down the cheeks of the tetrarch.

The lights began to flicker and die out. The guests departed, and at last no one remained in the great hall save

Antipas, who sat leaning his head upon his hands, gazing at the head of Iaokanann; and Phanuel, who stood

At sunrise the two men who had been sent on a mission by Iaokanann some time before, returned to the

Then he showed them the lugubrious object, still resting on the charger amid the ruins of the feast. One of the

"Be comforted! He has descended among the dead in order to announce the coming of the Christ!"

And in that moment the Essene comprehended the words of Iaokanann: "In order that His glory may increase,

Then the three, taking with them the head of John the Baptist, set out upon the road to Galilee; and as the