Of Such Is The Kingdom, A Novel of Biblical Times in 3 parts

The huge stone amphitheater was crowded with people from all over the area waiting for the annual games to start.  At noon, the sun shone brightly through the cracks and spaces in the walls of the amphitheater.  Herod Agrippa walked through the crowd and took his place at the Bema judgment seat.  He wore a shining silver robe which shone all the brighter as the sun's rays shone through it.

Suddenly he stood up, cleared his throat and began speaking.  "Citizens of Caesarea and Roman subjects:  we are gathered here to witness once again the games for which this city is famous in honor of our late great emperor, Caesar Claudius.  The games will begin in just a moment, but first, I want to welcome all of you and to introduce myself--I am Herod Agrippa, ruler of all Judea and Perea--and I have just made a magnanimous trade agreement with the twin cities of Tyre and Sidon.  My fellow citizens, this is just an example of the fact that we are all brothers and sisters under the beneficent care of our dear mother, Rome."

The crowd went wild.  Cheers went up all over the amphitheater.  Someone yelled, "This is the voice of a god" and the rest of the crowd repeated the adulation.

What happened next was a miracle.  Some in the crowd say they saw a shining hand touch the king on the shoulder.  Others say it was a bright flash of light.  Then, Herod Agrippa suddenly fell down screaming and grabbing his stomach.  He lay there at the foot of the Bema seat retching and screaming for several minutes.  Then he threw up right on the walkway.  Those closest say that there were what looked like large worms crawling through the vomit.  He wretched and screamed a minute more and was gone.  Herod Agrippa was dead, cut down by the divine hand of Almighty God.

Now a hush fell over the crowd as the soldiers came to carry the body away.  The emissaries of Tyre and Sidon breathed a sigh of relief.  "We’ll have to now deal with his successor, whoever it will be.   But, perhaps we can start from scratch and thus avoid the heavy penalty which he was imposing."