Durango semi-weekly herald., 1902-09-01

he became Tetrareh OF Callilee. Ac-
cording to Josephus. the work was be-
gun in the year l6 \. y. and finished
in seven years His brother Phinp.
Of whom he was Jealous, had built a
city called Julias. in honor Of the ia
gorltc daughter of the Roman emper.
or, and Antipas Herod, in hope OF
iisplacing him in Caesars favor.
built one more splendid aud named ii
after Tiberius himself He selected as
a site the base of steep hill, around
the waters of a hot sprilg, in the
ruins of an ancient city aud the
Graves of forgotten race The hill
was crowned with picturesque castle,
The slopes were covered with temples.
palaces and other public buildings. the
streets were wide and wen paved. a
port was built and pier extended into
the waters of GaIilee; HIGH walls.
three miles in length. enCrcled the OF
cial section of the city. and IN the cen
ter was splendid structure IN imlta-
lion Of the palaces OF Rome. which
vas called the Golden i1us ba-auae
the sheet lead laid upon lis rool was
gilded, We do not know and we can
not Judge how this building may have
compared in beauty and architecture
in splendor and in taste with the
ideals of the present day, but contem.
pOrary writer's described It's magnifi-
eence in gorgeous words, and It's cost
confirms their statements
The fact that a burial place had
been disturbed in laying the foundG-
tions of the city was In violation of
the Mosaic law, and made it impossi-
BILE for Jews to live in tho place be
cause contact with graves dedled their
person for seven days. Herod was
therefore compelled to people the city
he had built with adventmers aud i'm
migrants from foreign lands. He
brought mechanics from Italy. artists
from Greece; laborers sailors and all
sorts of men from the islands of the
sea. from Egypt and Asia Minor. He
proclaimed liberia a refuge for the
homeless, the persecuted and the poor
OF all sects and nations; he offered an
asylum to escaped slaves. and even
purchased from the Arab tribes of the
desert prisoners OF war who were held
in captivity. to whom he gave their
freedom provided they would settle in
his new capital. For many families
he built houses; to many more he gave
lands in the surrounding country. and
he made it known throughout the civ
ilized world that Inducements would
be granted to those who assisted him
in carrying out his plans, The officers
of state, the captains Of the army. the
courtiers of all grades and others who
aspired to Herod's favor built houses.
and some Of them built temples and
shrines. SO that tn town grew like a
mushroom and soon covered the hill
side until the entire space within the
walls was occupied with what must
have been a superior class of dwellings
for those days No other city in the
East was ever erected in this manner.
Herod Antipas inherited the Grecian
tastes and tendencies of his father.
with his power and as this was well
known. those who souhgt his favor by
coming to the city employed Greek
architects and adopted the Greek fash
ion, so that Tiberus rcscmbled cit
les of Greece. There was a forum in
which the people met, transacted bus.
mess and exchanged gossip, "a stadium
in which the youth of Gallilee engaged
in Olympic games, theater resem-
bling those OF Athens in which Greek
and Roman comedies and tragedies
We're produced; a mint, the coinage OF
which is still eXtant and can be pur-
chased at the cuho shops Of Europe to-
day; vast bawack for the military
garrison. which was uniformed like a
Roman legion. Columns, arches,
shrines. statues of Roman Gods and
emperors and other public ornaments
tere erected similar to those at Ath-
ems and Rome, and in a few years as
one might naturally expect under
these circumstances, Tiberius became
the most famous of all cities, one of
the wonders OF the earth, so that its
name was applied to the waters of the
lake of Gennesaret and was adopted
by the Romans in their official cores
pondence 1t was a city of luxury,
pleasure and sin. and naturally an
abomination to the Jews. although af-
ter the destruction Of Jerusalem, in
spite of the Mosaic law, it became the
chief seat of the Jewish nation.
The Sanhedrim was transferred here
from Sepphoris and the school of the
Talmud was established within its
walls. 1t was noted lor its scholars
and is stll one OF tine four holy cities
OF the Jewish faith. Safed is the 9th
er in the north, and these two almost
riyaled in sauctity Jerusalem and
Hebron, the two holy cities OF the
sculh. rae 5u.el.lg. Jerusalsa.-l ~
mud came into existence here, and
here was published the ancient Law
known as the Mishma. 1t was here
that the Hebrew bible, now universal
ly accepted. was written. st. Jerome
studied the Hebrew language her,
with a famous rabbi, and the Jews be
! lieve that the messiah will rise from
| the waters OF the lake, will land a
| Tiberius, and at Safed erect his
/ throne. Il have created seven seaes,
saith the Lord, but out of them all
have chosen none but the See Of Gene
saret." Such was the remarkable
change in the sentiments Of the Jew
/ t,,,rarIe tbo cauftat of Antinue Hrro1