She sat up straight. "Herod, your father was loyal to my interests. So if you really want to go to Rome, I'll provide a galley. But at this time of year, the sea can be treacherous." "No more treacherous than returning to Judea." She laughed. "You are so serious. That must be what Antony likes about you." "What Antony likes about me is our mutual need for one another and my fortune. And Queen Cleopatra, the same is true for you and me. We have the same enemies, the Parthians and the Arabs." "I have a new one. Antony took the hand of Octavian's sister. You must pledge to help me with that matter." A nurse brought her twins by Antony to her. They were named Alexander and Cleopatra. "I will do what I can. Antony can't possibly love that Octavia. It's just a political arrangement. However, if I help you with Octavia, you must help me with the Hasmoneans. Until their alliance with the Parthians is undone, you and Antony have a thorn in your side, a thorn that will prevent you from defeating Octavian." She rose, and I tottered to my feet in respect. "Antony has confided much in you. I will provide the galley to get you to Rome and send along a note to Antony with my advice. Now, go back to your quarters and get some rest. Your journey will be a long one." Herod the Great wants to set the record straight. With documented research, Herod solves the mysteries surrounding the lives of various roman emperors, John the Baptist, Jesus, and his homosexual relationship with the beloved apostle, John. Herod finds this love affair to be the actual cause of Jesus' crucifixion. Herod issues a brutally honest portrait of his life from the fiery depths of Hell. With conversations with notable historical figures, such as Caesar Augustus and Cleopatra, and a detailed history of the Herodian dynasty that includes interaction with the Roman Empire, the Jews of Antiquity, and the Christian leadership, Herod leads us through his fascinating life story. He tells how he was overthrown by an allied force of dissident Jews and Parthians, and eventually returned to power by Marc Antony to become King of the Jews, Herod the Great, the second richest man in the Roman Empire. He continues his story through his descendants, the death of Jesus, and the rise of Christianity to the end of the First Century A.D. He thus achieves redemption.