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making libations to Charon. But the son of the deceased, Agrippa, was then living in Rome, being brought up in the household of Claudius Caesar. whom he was immediately minded to send to succeed to the kingdom; but his advisers dissuaded him from his purpose, saying that it was a perilous thing to entrust so great a kingdom to a mere youth. He therefore sent Cuspius Fadus to be procurator of Judaea and of the entire kingdom, instructing him to censure the Caesareans and Sebastenians for their insolence towards the deceased. And when Fadus arrived in Judaea, he both suppressed an insurrection that had occurred, and cleared the country of bands of robbers, and he commanded that the high priest's stole be deposited in the fortress of Antonia, as before. But the priests and the leading men in Jerusalem did not dare to contradict, but nevertheless they begged him to permit them to send ambassadors to Caesar to ask that the sacred stole be in their possession; and they were permitted. And when the ambassadors arrived in Rome, the son of Agrippa, the younger Agrippa, who was living there, as has been said, begged Caesar that the Jews be allowed to have the sacred stole. And Claudius granted it, and wrote to Fadus about these things. And Herod, the brother of Agrippa, ruler of Chalcis, asked from Caesar the authority over the temple and the sacred treasures and the appointment of the high priests. And he obtained his request, and from that time this authority remained with all his descendants until the capture of Jerusalem. And so he removed Cantheras from the high priesthood, bringing in Joseph son of Camei in his place. 2.36 At this time, Helena, queen of the Adiabenians, and her son Izates, changed their way of life to the Jewish customs. For Monobazus, the king of the Adiabenians, who was also called Bazaeus, being taken with love for his sister Helena, married her. and once while sleeping with her when she was pregnant, he placed his hand upon her belly. And while he slept, he seemed to hear a voice commanding him to take his hand from her womb and not to press the infant within it, who by the providence of God would both rule and meet with a fortunate end. Therefore, being troubled by the voice, he told these things to his wife. And when the son was born, he named him Izates. And he had another older son by Helena, and other children by other wives, but he loved Izates as if he were an only-begotten son. Therefore his brothers were envious. But the father, fearing for him, sent him away to Abennerigus, king of Spasini Charax. And he gladly received Izates and made him his son-in-law, giving him his daughter, and provided him with a country. And when Monobazus had grown old, he desired to see Izates before he died. Therefore, having sent for him, he embraced him kindly, and allotted him a country, in which he also lived until the death of his father. But when Monobazus died, Queen Helena sent for the nobles and the satraps; to whom when they had come she said, "It has not escaped your notice that my husband wished Izates to become the successor to the kingdom. But knowing that he is blessed who receives the kingdom not from one, but from many, and these willing, 2.37 I have put the matter to your judgment." And they said that they confirmed the king's judgment, and would willingly submit to Izates as justly preferred before his brothers according to the prayers of all, and that it was necessary to kill his brothers and kinsmen beforehand, so that he might rule securely. But the queen advised them to hold back the decision concerning the slaying of Izates' relatives until he should arrive and approve it. But they urged that they be imprisoned for the time being until his arrival. And the queen set her eldest son over affairs until his brother should return, and also gave him his father's signet ring. Therefore Izates came, and his brother received him and yielded the rule to him. And while he was on his journey, a certain Jew named Ananias, having become known to him, taught him about God and the Jewish customs. And it happened that Helena also, by another Jew

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σπένδοντες τῷ Χάροντι. ὁ δὲ τοῦ τεθνεῶτος υἱὸς ̓Αγρίππας ἐν ̔Ρώμῃ τότε διῆγε παρὰ Κλαυδίῳ τρεφόμενος Καίσαρι. ον αὐτίκα πέμπειν ωρμητο τὴν βασιλείαν διαδεξόμενον· ἀπήγαγον δ' αὐτὸν τοῦ σκοποῦ οἱ περὶ αὐτόν, σφαλερὸν ειναι λέγοντες κομιδῇ νέῳ βασιλείας ἐπιτρέπειν μέγεθος τόσον. ἀπέστειλεν ουν Κούσπιον Φάδον τῆς ̓Ιουδαίας καὶ τῆς βασιλείας ἁπάσης ἐπιτροπεύσοντα, ἐντειλάμενος αὐτῷ Καισαρεῦσι καὶ Σεβαστηνοῖς ἐπιπλῆξαι τῆς εἰς τὸν κατοιχόμενον υβρεως. ἀφικόμενος δὲ Φάδος εἰς τὴν ̓Ιουδαίαν, στάσιν τε γενομένην κατέστειλε, καὶ λῃστηρίων τὴν χώραν ἐκάθηρε, καὶ τὴν τοῦ ἀρχιερέως στολὴν εἰς τὴν ̓Αντωνίαν τὸ φρούριον ἀποτεθῆναι προσέταξεν ὡς καὶ πρότερον. οἱ δ' ἱερεῖς καὶ οἱ πρῶτοι τῶν ἐν ̔Ιεροσολύμοις ἀντιλέγειν μὲν οὐκ ἐτόλμων, παρεκάλουν δὲ ομως ἐπιτρέψαι αὐτοῖς πρέσβεις πέμψαι πρὸς τὸν Καίσαρα τοὺς αἰτησομένους τὴν ἱερὰν στολὴν παρ' αὐτοῖς ειναι· καὶ ἐπετράπησαν. παραγενομένων δὲ εἰς τὴν ̔Ρώμην τῶν πρέσβεων, ὁ τοῦ ̓Αγρίππου παῖς ὁ νεώτερος ̓Αγρίππας ἐκεῖ διάγων, ὡς ειρηται, παρεκάλεσε τὸν Καίσαρα συγχωρηθῆναι τοῖς ̓Ιουδαίοις εχειν τὴν ἱερὰν στολήν. καὶ ὁ Κλαύδιος συνεχώρησε, καὶ τῷ Φάδῳ περὶ τούτων ἐπέστειλε. καὶ ̔Ηρώδης δὲ ὁ τοῦ ̓Αγρίππου ἀδελφός, τῆς δὲ Χαλκίδος αρχων, ᾐτήσατο παρὰ Καίσαρος τὴν τοῦ νεὼ ἐξουσίαν καὶ τῶν ἱερῶν χρημάτων καὶ τὴν τῶν ἀρχιερέων χειροτονίαν. καὶ ετυχε τῆς αἰτήσεως, καὶ ἐξ ἐκείνου πᾶσι τοῖς ἀπογόνοις αὐτοῦ ἡ ἐξουσία παρέμεινε μέχρι τῆς τῶν ̔Ιεροσολύμων ἁλώσεως. καὶ δὴ μεθίστησι τῆς ἀρχιερωσύνης τὸν Κανθηρᾶν, ̓Ιωσὴφ ἀντεισαγαγὼν τὸν τοῦ Καμεί. 2.36 ̓Εν τούτῳ τῷ χρόνῳ ἡ τῶν ̓Αδιαβηνῶν βασιλὶς ̔Ελένη καὶ ὁ παῖς αὐτῆς ̓Ιζάτης εἰς τὰ Ἰουδαίων τὴνδιαγωγὴν μετέβαλον νόμιμα. Μονόβαζος γὰρ ὁ τῶν ̓Αδιαβηνῶν βασιλεύς, ῳ καὶ Βαζαῖος ἐπίκλησις ην, τῆς ἀδελφῆς ̔Ελένης ἁλοὺς ερωτι, αγεται ταύτην. καί ποτε συγκαθεύδων αὐτῇ ουσῃ ἐγκύμονι τῇ ἐκείνης γαστρὶ τὴν χεῖρα ἐπέθετο. καὶ ὑπνώσας εδοξεν ἀκούειν φωνῆς αραι κελευούσης ἐκ τῆς νηδύος τὴν χεῖρα καὶ μὴ θλίβειν τὸ ἐν αὐτῇ βρέφος, θεοῦ προνοίᾳ καὶ αρξον καὶ τέλους τευξόμενον εὐτυχοῦς. ταραχθεὶς ουν ὑπὸ τῆς φωνῆς εφραζε ταῦτα τῇ γυναικί. καὶ τὸν υἱὸν τεχθέντα ̓Ιζάτην ὠνόμασεν. ην δ' ετερος τούτου πρεσβύτερος ἐκ τῆς ̔Ελένης αὐτῷ γεννηθεὶς αλλοι τε παῖδες ἐκ γυναικῶν ἑτέρων, εστεργε δὲ τὸν ̓Ιζάτην ωσπερ μονογενῆ. ἐφθόνουν τοίνυν οἱ ἀδελφοί. ὁ δὲ πατὴρ δεδοικὼς περὶ τούτῳ, ἐκπέμπει πρὸς ̓Αβεννήριγον τὸν Σπασίνου χάρακος βασιλέα. καὶ ος ἀσμένως τὸν ̓Ιζάτην ἐδέξατο καὶ κηδεστὴν ἐπὶ θυγατρὶ ἐποιήσατο καὶ χώραν αὐτῷ παρέσχε. γεγηρακὼς δὲ ὁ Μονόβαζος ἰδεῖν ἐπεθύμει τὸν ̓Ιζάτην πρὸ τοῦ θανεῖν. μεταπεμψάμενος ουν αὐτὸν φιλοφρόνως ἀσπάζεται, καὶ χώραν αὐτῷ ἀπεκλήρωσεν, ἐν ῃ καὶ διέτριβε μέχρι τελευτῆς τοῦ πατρός. ̓Εκλιπόντος δὲ Μονοβάζου ἡ βασιλὶς ̔Ελένη μετεπέμψατο τοὺς μεγιστᾶνας καὶ τοὺς σατράπας· οις ἀφικομένοις "οὐ λέληθεν" ειπεν "ὑμᾶς οτι ὁ ἀνὴρ ὁ ἐμὸς τὸν ̓Ιζάτην ηθελε τῆς βασιλείας γενέσθαι διάδοχον. εἰδυῖα δὲ μακάριον τὸν μὴ παρ' ἑνός, ἀλλὰ τῶν πλειόνων καὶ τούτων ἑκόντων τὴν βασιλείαν λαμ2.37 βάνοντα, καὶ ὑπὸ τὴν ὑμῶν τὸ πρᾶγμα κρίσιν πεποίημαι." οἱ δὲ καὶ τὴν τοῦ βασιλέως κρίσιν βεβαιοῦν ελεγον, καὶ ὑπείξειν ἑκόντες ̓Ιζάτῃ δικαίως προκεκριμένῳ τῶν ἀδελφῶν κατὰ τὰς ἁπάντων εὐχάς, καὶ δεῖν προαποκτεῖναι τοὺς ἀδελφοὺς αὐτοῦ καὶ τοὺς συγγενεῖς, ιν' ἀσφαλῶς ἐκεῖνος αρχοι. ἡ δὲ βασιλὶς τὴν περὶ τῆς ἀναιρέσεως τῶν προσηκόντων τῷ ̓Ιζάτῃ γνώμην ἐπισχεῖν συνεβούλευε μέχρις αν ἐκεῖνος συνδοκιμάσῃ παραγενόμενος. οἱ δὲ δεσμεῖν τέως αὐτοὺς παρῄνουν μέχρι τῆς ἐκείνου ἐπιδημίας. καθίστησι δὲ τὸν πρεσβύτατον υἱὸν ἡ βασίλισσα ἐπὶ τῶν πραγμάτων, εως αν ἐπανέλθῃ ὁ ἀδελφός, δίδωσι δὲ καὶ τὸν τοῦ πατρὸς σημαντῆρα δακτύλιον. ηκεν ουν ὁ ̓Ιζάτης, καὶ ὁ ἀδελφὸς ὑπεδέξατο καὶ ὑπεξέστη αὐτῷ τῆς ἀρχῆς. Οντι δ' αὐτῷ ἐν τῇ ἀποδημίᾳ ̓Ιουδαῖός τις ̓Ανανίας καλούμενος γνωστὸς γεγονὼς ἐδίδασκεν αὐτὸν τὸν θεὸν καὶ τὰ τῶν ̓Ιουδαίων νόμιμα. συνέβη δὲ καὶ τὴν ̔Ελένην ὑφ' ἑτέρου ̓Ιουδαίου