The world in 39 BC — what happened that year

7 events the sources record for this year, grouped by region.

What happened

Floods in Yingchuan swept away and drowned many people. (Book of Han (Hanshu), Imperial Annals 漢書卷009 元帝永光五年秋)

Herod sails from Italy to Ptolemais, raises an army of foreign troops and his countrymen, and marches into Galilee (Josephus, Jewish War and Antiquities of the Jews BJ 1.290–292)
Herod takes Joppa and hurries to rescue his kinsfolk at Masada (Josephus, Jewish War and Antiquities of the Jews BJ 1.293–294)
Herod camps west of Jerusalem, but the guards on the walls resist with arrows and javelins (Josephus, Jewish War and Antiquities of the Jews BJ 1.295–296)
Herod returns from Italy to Ptolemais, passes through Galilee and confronts Antigonus (Josephus, Jewish War and Antiquities of the Jews 14.394)

Sextus Pompey holds Sicily, plunders Italy and endangers the sea with pirate ships (Plutarch's Parallel Lives Plut. Antony 32.1)
Antony winters in Athens and hears news of Ventidius's first victory (Plutarch's Parallel Lives Plut. Antony 33.4)