Herod’s Response to Famine

Now on this very year, which was the thirteenth of Herod’s reign, the most severe calamities overtook the country, whether because of God’s harboring wrath or because such misery recurs naturally in certain periods of time. First, there were perpetual droughts, and on this account the ground was barren and did not bring forth the same quantity of fruit that it used to produce of its own accord. Second, on account of the change in living conditions caused by the lack of grain, physical illnesses and eventually pestilence prevailed, with successive miseries afflicting the people. These circumstances—being destitute of both medical care and food—caused the pestilent disease, which had begun violently, to prolong its duration. Moreover, the destruction of men in this manner deprived those who survived of all their courage, because they had no remedies sufficient for the distress they were in. So when the fruits of that year were spoiled and all they had stored up in advance was consumed, there was no remaining hope for relief, yet their misery, contrary to expectations, still increased. It was not only on that year that they had nothing left for themselves, but what seed they had sown perished also, by virtue of the ground not bearing any fruit in the second year. So necessity forced them to consume many things that they were unaccustomed to eating, and the king himself was no more exempt from this scarcity than other men, since he lacked the tribute he had used to receive from the earth’s produce and had already spent what money he had in his lavish outlay for the cities he had rebuilt. Nor were there any people deserving of his assistance, since this miserable state of affairs had procured him the hatred of his subjects, for miserable conditions are always blamed on those who govern.

In such circumstances, he considered how to get help in a timely manner. But this was difficult to accomplish, since [the Judeans’] neighbors had no food to sell them, having suffered no less themselves, and even if it had been possible to procure a meager supply at a high price, their funds were exhausted. However, believing that he could fare best by not neglecting his endeavors to assist his people, he chopped up into coins all the rich furniture that was in his palace, both of silver and gold, not sparing the finest vessels he had or those that were made by the mostly highly skilled artisans. He sent the money to Egypt, where Petronius had been made prefect by Caesar. Since more than a few had already fled to him on account of the same needs, and because he was a personal friend to Herod and wanted to preserve his subjects, he gave them first consideration in exporting grain as well as helping them to buy it and bring it out of port, with the result that he became their principal, if not their only, source of help.

When these provisions arrived, Herod, having seen to it that the people understood that this help came from him, not only removed the poor opinion of those who had previously hated him but gave them the greatest demonstration possible of his benevolence and care for them. For those who were able to prepare their own food, he distributed their portion of grain very precisely. For the many who were not able to prepare food for themselves, either because of their old age or because of any other infirmity, he made the provision that the bakers prepare their bread for them. He also took care to ensure that they not be harmed by the dangers of winter, since they were also in great need of clothing due to the utter destruction and consumption of their sheep and goats, to the point that they had no wool to use or anything else to cover themselves.

After he had procured these things for his own subjects, he devoted himself to providing assistance to the neighboring cities, distributing seed to inhabitants of Syria. This turned out to be to his great advantage, as this charitable assistance was well timed with the region’s fertile soil, with the result that everyone now had a plentiful supply of food. When the time for harvesting approached, he sent a total of no fewer than fifty thousand men, whom he had maintained and preserved, into the country, by which means he both repaired the afflicted condition of his own kingdom with great generosity and zeal and relieved the miseries of his neighbors, who were subject to the same troubles. For no one who had faced deprivation was left without proper assistance from him, and any people, cities, or private individuals who were in need of support as a result of providing for the masses received what they needed. When the reckoning was made, it turned out that the number of cori of wheat, valued at ten Attic medimni [approx. 150 gal or 500 l] apiece, that were given to foreigners amounted to ten thousand, and the number given in his own kingdom was about eighty thousand.

Now it happened that his providence and timely assistance had such an influence on the Jews and was so publicized among other nations that it removed the old hatred that he had aroused among the people during his reign by violating some of their customs, and this generous assistance during the people’s greatest time of need was considered full recompense for all that he had done of that nature. He also gained fame among foreigners, and it seemed that the calamities that had afflicted his land so greatly came in order to improve his reputation and serve his advantage. For the greatness of his generosity during these troubles, which he now demonstrated beyond all expectation, changed the attitude of the masses toward him so greatly that they were ready to believe that he was not the kind of king they had determined him to be based on earlier experience but the kind of king he showed himself to be through the care he now gave them in providing for their needs.

Translated by William Whiston, adapted byAaron Samuels.