Very possibly because of his licentious living, Herod was eventually afflicted with a loathsome disease accompanied by fever and, to quote Josephus, “an intolerable itching of the whole skin, continuous pains in the intestines, tumours in the feet as in dropsy, inflammation of the abdomen and gangrene of the privy parts, engendering worms, in addition to asthma, with great difficulty in breathing, and convulsions in all his limbs.” —The Jewish War, I, 656 (xxxiii, 5).
Malamang na dahil sa kaniyang mahalay na pamumuhay, nang bandang huli ay dinapuan si Herodes ng isang nakapandidiring sakit na may kasamang lagnat at, ayon kay Josephus, “isang napakatinding pangangati ng balat, namamalaging kirot sa bituka, mga tumor sa paa na gaya ng sa manas, pamamaga ng tiyan at ganggrena sa mga pribadong bahagi, na nilalabasan ng mga uod, bukod pa sa hika, na may matinding hirap sa paghinga, at pangingisay ng lahat ng kaniyang mga biyas.” —The Jewish War, I, 656 (xxxiii, 5).jw2019 jw2019