?_šÿÿÿÿõ” Šl!ŒA<Herod the Great© 2002 Bible History OnlineZ{mainþË$Z secondInformationfõf`ÿÿÿÿÿÿZthirdImagesÂ3­f`ÿÿÿÿÿÿ  €€îÌ¡¢±²ºî/&;)z4ÿÿLÿÿÿÿ|CONTEXTÇ5|CTXOMAP¼(|FONT9&|KWBTREEi)|KWDATAÇ(|KWMAPX)|SYSTEM|TOPICÉ|TTLBTREE˜-|bm0ö=|bm1HC|bm2B¯|bm3õ|bm4Æp|bm5±É|bm6(ùp g ÿÿÿÿ 6ÿÿÿÿB1§ÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿB³Herodq ³S v€>€2˜š‚€†"€‚ë¥c)€‰€‚뮀€‰€‚ÿ Timeline Coins 9Bì1›€ÿÿÿÿìZCOverview8 ³$, (€€6˜ˆ˜š‚€€‚ÿOverview¶ì0CJ b€m#€"š‚€‚€€€‚ÿKing Herod I (The Great)Herod was the name of a variety of members of the royal dynasty which originated in Edom or Idumea after it had been forced to adopt the Jewish religion by John Hyrcanus in 125 B.C. This family ruled in Palestine as vassals of the Romans. The history of this dynasty, which succeeded that of the Maccabees, largely relates to the political history of Palestine during this whole period.Herod I (the Great) was son of Antipater and made king by the Romans in 40 B.C. He managed to keep hold of his throne in the face of the many changes in the government at Rome.His kingdom comprised Judea, Samaria, Galilee, Idumea, Batanea, and Peraea, which was approximately the same size as the kingdom of David and Solomon. Although Herod had exceptional leadership skills, he was extremely disliked by the Jews. His attitude toward the Maccabean dynasty, to which he was related by marriage, along with his insolence and cruelty, angered them all the more. He even had his brother-in-law and several of his wives and sons executed. He forced heavy taxes and brutally repressed any rebellions. But it was by his policy of Hellenistic culture that he greatly wounded the Jews. The construction of a race-course, a theater, and an amphitheater in Jerusalem, his wide support of the emperor cult in the East, and the construction of pagan temples in foreign cities at his own expense could not be forgiven, even though he restored and reconstructed the Temple of Jerusalem and continually pleaded the cause of the Jews of the Diaspora to the emperor to his own gains. There was no close tie between the king and his people; he remained an Edomite and a friend of Rome, only holding on to his power by the use of a merciless military force. This is the same Herod the Great who massacred the children of Bethlehem (Matt. 2).Herod suddenly died in 4 B.C. After his death, the Emperor Augustus made three of Herod’s sons the rulers of different parts of their father's kingdom. One son, Archelaus (Matt. 2), obtained Judea and Samaria. He was a tyrant like his father and lacked his fathers ambition and talent. He irritated the Jews and Samaritans so intensely that Augustus deposed him in 6 A.D. and placed a Roman procurator over his kingdom.Another son, Herod Antipas, became tetrarch of Galilee and Peraea (4 B.C.- 39 A.D.) . He built the purely Hellenistic city of Tiberias. After renouncing his first wife he married Herodias, the former wife of his half brother Herod Philip, who brought her daughter Salome with her to Antipas' court.When John the Baptist accused Antipas of adultery, the king, after Salome's dance and at the instigation of Herodias, had him beheaded in prison. This Herod was Jesus' earthly ruler, and Pilate sent Jesus, in the course of his trial, to Herod who was in Jerusalem at the time for the Passover. Herod ordered his soldiers to mock Jesus and sent him back to the Roman procurator (Luke 23:6-16). He is the Herod of the Gospels and he died in exile in the year 39.Herod's third son, Philip, was put in charge of the provinces between the Jordan and Damascus. He is supposed to have been a humane ruler. His capital was Caesarea Philippi. In the year 30 he married Salome, whose father was his half brother and whose mother was his niece. He died in 34 A.D.Agrippa I, Herodias' brother, succeeded him. Agrippa acquired Antipas' tetrarchy in the year 40 and Samaria and Judea came under his rule in 41, so that he finally reigned over the entire kingdom of his grandfather. He was the only Herod who, though at heart a Hellenist, tried by his policies to win the support of the more orthodox Jews. But in spite of these policies he put James the Apostle to de$0C³ath and imprisoned Peter (Acts 12). His death, which took place in 44, is also mentioned in the New Testament.His son, Agrippa II (27-100 A.D.), never ruled in Jerusalem. By inheritance and the favor of the Romans he finally acquired a fairly large kingdom to the North of Palestine. The Jews only came in contact with him because he had supervision of the temple and appointed the high priests. In the New Testament he is mentioned as having paid a visit to Festus, the procurator, at Caesarea, where Paul delivered a speech before him (Acts 25). It also says that his sister, Bernice, during the Jewish War, became Titus' mistress. His sister Drusilla, married to the procurator Felix, heard Paul speak (Acts 24). With Agrippa II's death, the Herodian dynasty disappeared from the stage of history.*$ZC' €€"š‚€‚ÿI0C£C1µÿÿÿÿ£CŠThe Family of the HerodsIZCìC, (€:€6˜ˆ˜š‚€€‚ÿThe Family of the Herods ù¦£Cñ‰S t€M+€"š‚€€€€€€‚ÿAntipater of Idumaea (67-47 B.C.)With all of the turmoil that caused the decay of the Hasmonean dynasty, the civil wars and the conversion of Syria and Palestine into a territory ruled by the Romans, the nation of Palestine was undergoing major factions. It was during this time that the dynasty of the Herods became prominent and Rome appointed a man named Antipas as the governor of Idumea (Jos. Antiq. xiv. 1. 3 ; 10). Antipater had a son who Josephus spoke about as being very wealthy and an Idumean by race. (Jos. War i. 6. 2. ; 123; also see Antiq. xiv. 1. 3 ; 9; Justin Martyr Dialogue with Trypho Iii. 3; Euseb. Hist. i. 6. 2; 7. 11; BT: Baba Bathra 3b-4a; Kiddushin 70b). This son was also named Antipater and it was he who was the father of Herod the Great.Antipater had great influence in Palestine and Judea during the period of Aristobulus, Hyrcanus and Pompey the Great. He acquired great influence because of his father's position. He also became an advisor to the Maccabean Queen Alexandra Salome.In 67 B.C., Queen Alexandra died, leaving the Kingdom to her oldest son Hyrcanus, and her younger was son, Aristobulus, was eager to have the power. Aristobulus was very strong-willed and self-seeking while Hyrcanus was peaceful and mild. After ruling for about three months he backed out. He never really desired to rule and so he passed all authority on to his younger brother Aristobulus who made himself king and high priest. The two brothers tried to remain peaceful with each other but it turned into a major struggle (Jos. Antiq. xiv. 1. 2 ; 4-7; xv. 6. 4 ; 180; War i. 5. 4 ; 117-119).Antipater saw a great opportunity and decided to become the primary influence on the life of Hyrcanus. When tension had between the two sons had reached its climax Antipater sided with Hyrcanus, even though Aristobulus was a greater military commander. Antipater encouraged Hyrcanus to flee to Petra and seek help from the Arabian king (King Aretas III), and in 65 B.C. the Arabian army marched on Jerusalem to capture Aristobulus.It wasn't long before the Roman legions arrived on the scene to put an end to the problems and, the soldiers of Rome marched into Jerusalem under the command of Pompey's lieutenant, M. Scaurus. The Arabians retreated and later Antipater had, realizing that Rome was closely involved with this whole situation, encouraged Hyrcanus to make an appeal to Pompey in Damascus. Aristobulus decided to do the same. Pompey decided to side with Hyrcanus because there was evidence of Aristobulus revolting against Rome (Jos. Antiq. xiv. 3. 3 ; 46, 47).In 63 B.C. Pompey made war against Aristobulus, besieging the Jerusalem temple for three months. When Pompey won the war he went into the holy of holies but did not plunder it of its valuables (Jos. Antiq. xiv. 4. 4 ; 69-72; War i. 6. 5-7. 6 ; 133-153; Tac. Hist. v. 9; Appian Mithridatic Wars 106, 114; Florus i. 40. 30; Livy 102; Plutarch Pompey xxxix; cf. Dio Cassius xxxvii. 15-17) Because of Hyrcanus'ìCñ‰ZC loyalty, Pompey gave him authority to rule in Judea, not as a king but as "ethnarch", he remained the high priest and Antipater remained in power as the chief minister of state. (Jos. Antiq. xiv. 4. 4 ; 73; War i. 7. 6 ; 153). Jerusalem was made a tributary of Rome and it was placed under Scaurus whom Pompey made legate of the province of Syria. Antipater proved himself useful to the Romans both in government and in their operations against the Hasmoneans. In 57 B.C. the governor of Syria, Aulus Gabinius, broke Judea apart and Idumaea was given to Antipater. Antipater later joined this governor on an expedition to restore Ptolemy XII of Egypt to his throne.Antipater married a woman named Cypros, of an illustrious Arabian, by whom he had four sons: Phasael, Herod, Joseph, Pheroras, and a daughter, Salome (Jos. Antiq. xiv. 7. 3 ; 121; War i. 8. 9 ; 181). It was not long before the Roman civil wars erupted and Hyrcanus, because of Antipater, supported Pompey. Julius Caesar had rescued Aristobulus, who had been exiled, and sent him with two Roman legions to begin a revolt in Judea. Not long after Aristobulus was poisoned and could not follow-through the plan, that's Antipater was spared.After Pompey was defeated by Julius Caesar in 48 B.C. in Egypt (at Pharsalus), Antipater acted shrewdly. He came to Caesar to aid him when the Roman commander was having serious trouble in Alexandria, and Caesar was so thankful that he rewarded Antipater with the title of chief minister of Judea. Caesar also granted him Roman citizenship, and the right to collect taxes for Rome. Antipater himself was also made exempt for any personal taxes. Immediately after, Antipater went around the country to put an end to the problems and convince the Judean population to be loyal to Hyrcanus. Deep inside though, he felt that Hyrcanus was an unsuitable leader of Judea so he took the country in his own hands and appointed his son Phasael as governor of Jerusalem and his second son Herod as governor of Galilee (Jos. Antiq. xiv. 9. 1-2 ; 156-158; War i. 10. 4 ; 201-203).In 44 B.C., Julius Caesar was assassinated, and Cassius, one of the murderers, came to Syria demanding support. Antipater and Hyrcanus had no choice but to assist him and Herod collected many taxes to help Cassius in his war against Marc Antony.The Jews, however, were extremely angry and bitter of Antipater's pro-Roman policies, a group of anti-Romans, led by a man named Malichus, revolted against Antipater and he was poisoned in 43 B.C.*ìCŠ' €€"š‚€‚ÿDñ‰_Š1™€…‰ÿÿÿÿ_ŠÀÌHerod the GovernorCŠ¢Š, (€.€6˜ˆ˜š‚€€‚ÿHerod the GovernorO_ŠñŒ6 :€3€"š‚€€€€€‚ÿGovernor of Galilee (47-37 B.C.)At around 25 years old Herod became governor of Galilee. It wasn't long before the Galilean Jews and the Roman officials in Syria began to admire this young man. Herod was quick to capture and execute the outlaw Ezekias and most of his followers. At one point many people came to Hyrcanus and tried to convince him that Herod was getting too powerful and that he had violated Jewish laws when he executed Ezekias and his followers. They recommended that Herod stand trial before the Sanhedrin.¹Ž¢Šª+ $€€"š‚€‚‚‚‚ÿAround 47 B.C. Hyrcanus was persuaded and ordered Herod to be brought to trial. Herod got the message and came to the trial but when he showed up he appeared as a king dressed in purple and attended by his bodyguard. Sextus Caesar, the governor of Syria, gave the orders to Hyrcanus that Herod should be acquitted or their would be great consequences.When Herod was released he came to Damascus to join up with Sextus Caesar. Sextus saw Herod as a remarkable man with much popularity and appointed him as governor of Coele-Syria, and Herod became more and more familiar with Roman laws and Customs, especially when dealing with affairs in Syria.²‡ñŒhÂ+ $€€"š‚€‚‚‚‚ÿHerod was very angry that Hyrcanus had caªhŠlled him to trial and to avenge himself he marched against Jerusalem, but his father and his brother both persuaded him to refrain from violence.Caecilius Bassus, an enemy of Julius Caesar and friend of Pompey, murdered Sextus Caesar and became the new leader of Syria. Antipater, who was a friend of Julius Caesar, sent his troops against Bassus with his two sons leading them. This small War lasted for about three years and after Caesar was assassinated by Cassius, Brutus, and their followers in March of 44 B.C., Cassius came to Syria and defeated Bassus and he became the new leader of Syria.»ª#Å+ $€!€"š‚€‚‚‚‚ÿBecause Cassius required heavy taxes Antipater chose Herod, Phasael, and Malichus to do the collecting. It wasn't long before Herod became renowned for his collecting of taxes. Cassius was very pleased with Herod and not only appointed him as governor of Coele-Syria (just as he had been under Sextus) but also swore to make him king of Judea after the war that he and Brutus were fighting against Caesar and Antony.The Herodians were becoming noticeably powerful because of the Romans and Malichus, a man whose life Antipater had once saved, bribed a servant to poison Antipater (43 B.C.). Herod sought revenge and killed Malichus with the sword.òhÂ@È+ $€å€"š‚€‚‚‚‚ÿOnce Cassius had left Syria and joined up with Brutus in their campaign against Octavius and Antony, Judea was in turmoil again because of Hyrcanus. With some difficulty Herod stopped the revolt and before long another one broke out. Ptolemy, the ruler of the Itureans, gave protection to Antigonus, the son of Aristobulus. In 42 B.C. Herod defeated them and was congratulated by Hyrcanus and the people.During this period Herod had a wife whose name was Doris. They had a son together whom they named Antipater, after his grandfather. Herod also became betrothed to Mariamne, the granddaughter of Hyrcanus II and the daughter of Aristobulus' son, Alexander. This would mean that she was a niece of Antigonus, who was the arch-rival of Herod.í#ÅXÊ+ $€Û€"š‚€‚‚‚‚ÿBy marrying Mariamne Herod would be marrying into the royal house of the Hasmoneans and would become the natural Hasmonean heir, and would cause him to win acceptance in Judean circles.By 42 B.C. Marc Antony had defeated Cassius at Philippi and then advanced to Bithynia of Asia minor. When he arrived he was met by several Jewish leaders who brought accusations against Herod and Phasael (the governor of Jerusalem), saying that they were usurping their power and undermining Hyrcanus.>@È–Ì+ $€'€"š‚€‚‚‚‚ÿWhen Herod was questioned the gave a good defense against the accusations and the charges were dropped.In the autumn of 41 B.C., when Marc Antony had gone to Antioch, the Jewish leaders came and spoke the same accusations against Herod and Phasael. But this time Hyrcanus was there and Marc Antony came to him personally and asked him who would be the best qualified ruler. Hyrcanus stated that he was in favor of Herod and Phasael. Marc Antony therefore confirmed their authority and appointed them as tetrarchs of Judea.*XÊÀÌ' €€"š‚€‚ÿH–ÌÍ1Ê ÿÿÿÿÍÞ Herod and the ParthiansGÀÌOÍ, (€6€6˜ˆ˜š‚€€‚ÿHerod and the Parthians™oÍô* "€ß€"š‚€‚‚‚ÿIt wasn't long before the new tetrarchs of Judea had to deal with the Parthians who had appeared in Syria in 40 B.C. Pacorus, the prince of Parthia, joined forces with Antigonus in order to seize the throne of Hyrcanus and give it to Antigonus. With the invading of Jerusalem by the Parthians a civil war broke out and fighting went on every day in the city.When the feast of Pentecost was approaching, and thousands of Jews entering Jerusalem, a Parthian cup bearer named Pacorus arrived bringing word, supposedly, from the Parthian king regarding settlement. The proposal seemed good but Herod became suspicious and did not agree to go meetOÍôÀÌ the king in Galilee, although Phasael and Hyrcanus showed up and they were captured and put in chains. Herod fled to Masada with his troops, relatives, and Mariamne. Later he moved to Petra, the capital of the Nabatean kingdom.°…Oͤ+ $€ €"š‚€‚‚‚‚ÿat this time the Parthians were sacking all of Jerusalem and parts of Judea. They made Antigonus king. Antigonus had Hyrcanus mutilated and sent to Parthia so that there would be no possibility of him ever being restored as high priest. Phasael either died in battle, was poisoned, or he committed suicide.Herod had expected help and protection from the Arabian king Malchus, but he was asked to leave. Herod departed for Egypt and finally made his way to Rome where he was welcomed by Marc Antony and Octavius. Herod told them the whole story and after hearing it they established him as the king of Judea. In 39 B.C. he sailed from Italy back to Ptolemais and marched into Galilee. He captured Joppa and then made his way back to Masada where his relatives were. He found them under attack but with the help of the Roman armies he was able to quietly camp on the west side of Jerusalem.lAô+ $€ƒ€"š‚€‚‚‚‚ÿHerod proclaimed that he was the rightful king and made a promise to forgive all past offenses that were made against him. Antigonus countered by proclaiming that Herod was and Idumaean, and a half Jew, and not a legitimate heir to the throne.In 38 B.C. Herod overcame any armies in Galilee, and because the progress was slow he requested the help of Marc Antony and the Romans. He divided his army and left part of it with his brother Joseph with orders not to fight until reinforcements came, and with the rest of his army he went to Samosata where Antony was besieging Antiochus, king of Commagene, who had sided with the Parthians. Antony was pleased with Herod's help and his loyalty, and after they defeated and Samosata, Marc Antony ordered Sossius, one of his legates, to use the Roman army in support of King Herod.7 ¤G + $€€"š‚€‚‚‚‚ÿKing Herod returned to Antioch with two legions and crushed the opposition in Galilee. Unfortunately he also received the bad news that his brother Joseph had been killed at Jericho.In the spring of 37 B.C. Herod moved his troops to Jerusalem and set up for siege. At that time he left the armies in charge and set off for Samaria to marry Mariamne after about five years of betrothal. By marrying Mariamne he would no doubt strengthen his claim to the throne, even though it was a despicable move against Antigonus.d9« + $€s€"š‚€‚‚‚‚ÿOnce he was married he immediately returned to Jerusalem. Antigonus had been in Jerusalem defending the city against the Roman legions of Sossius, but the city finally fell in the summer of 37 B.C.When Herod showed up he realized that he needed to stop the Roman armies, who were his allies, from defiling the Temple and plundering the city's great wealth. He went to Sossius and pleaded with him to reward each soldier with a sizable gift. Sossius agreed and called his troops in to reward them and they marched away taking Antigonus to Marc Antony in chains.3 G Þ ) €€"š‚€‚‚ÿAccording to Josephus Herod had paid a large bribe to persuade the Romans to put Antigonus out of the way. He also records that Antigonus fell beneath the axe. This brought an end to the Hasmonean rule of 129 years. Herod was now the undisputed king of Judea.J« (1K.…‰¦‡ÿÿÿÿ(ÅÈHerod the King 37-25 B.C.EÞ m) "€8€6˜ˆ˜š‚€‚ÿHerod the King 37-25 B.C.º†(3B4 6€ €"š‚€€‚€‚ÿDuring this period we will be looking at the time from Herod's accession as king in 37 B.C. to the execution of his favorite wife Mariamne, and finally the death of the sons of Babas, in 25 B.C., when the last heir of the Hasmonean family was executed.While Herod was king he had many powerful opponents, namely the Pharisees, the ruling class, them3BÞ  Hasmonean family, and Cleopatra.The PhariseesThe Pharisees never liked the fact that Herod was the king of Judea, mainly because he was an Idumaean, a half Jew, and a friend of the Romans. One of the problems that Herod always faced when dealing with the Pharisees was there tremendous popularity with the people. They were well-respected and considered very holy. But King Herod had his ways of dealing with the population. Whoever opposed him he quickly punished, and those who were his friends he rewarded with favors and great honors. Óm>H8 >€§ €"š‚€‚€€‚€‚ÿThe Ruling ClassThe second group of powerful opponents to King Herod were the aristocratic followers of Antigonus. King Herod dealt with them harshly and one time he executed forty five of the most wealthy and most prominent members of this class. He seized their possessions and replenished his treasury which had been depleted because of all of his bribes.The Hasmonean FamilyThe third group of his powerful opponents were the family of the Hasmoneans. His mother-in-law, Alexandra, was the main source of most of his problems. During this time Hyrcanus had returned from Parthian exile, yet he was mutilated and thus could not serve as high priest. Herod needed someone to replace Hyrcanus as high priest. Herod was a half Jew and therefore he could not serve as high priest. He desired to choose a nonthreatening member of the Zadokite family, who were thought to have descended from Aaron, so he chose Ananel (Hananiel), a priest of the Babylonian exile.Alexandra, Herod's mother-in-law, was insulted and considered it an intrusion on the Hasmonean line and only the rightful heir could serve as high priest, her sixteen-year-old son Aristobulus, the brother of Mariamne. She wrote to Cleopatra to persuade Marc Antony to force Herod to appoint her son Aristobulus as high priest. Herod immediately removed Ananel, which was unlawful because the high priest was to remain in office for his whole lifetime, and made Aristobulus high priest at 17 years old in 35 B.C.¯‚3BíN- (€ €"š‚€‚ÿAlexandra was finally happy but her happiness would be short-lived. King Herod did not trust her and so he had her watched very closely. Alexandra, knowing that she was being watched, accepted an invitation by Cleopatra to escape with her son and flee to Egypt. King Herod heard that she was making and escape with her son and allowed them to carry it out so that he could catch them in the act. At this time he chose to overlook the offense.At the feast of Tabernacles people were showing great affection for Aristobulus, the officiating high priest. Herod considered this a threat and was determined to get rid of this potential rival. After the feast concluded, when Herod was invited by Alexandra to a feast at Jericho, Herod made a plan. He would act friendly to her and Aristobulus and invite them to go swimming since it was a hot day. He then bribed some men to play sports together in the water and drown Aristobulus by accident. King Herod rose up when this happened and made extreme lamentation. He then arranged the most magnificent funeral and he was not suspected in the least, by anyone except by his mother Alexandra, who decided to devote her life to revenge.She informed Cleopatra of the murder. Cleopatra persuaded Marc Antony to call Herod to give an account for his actions. King Herod had no choice but to go and stand before Marc Antony and face possible death. Herod asked his uncle Joseph to keep watch over Mariamne during the time that he would answer to Marc Antony. Herod told Joseph in private that if he should be executed, that he was to kill Mariamne, because he did not want her to become someone else's lover.W.>HP) €]€"š‚€‚ÿwhen Herod appeared before Marc Antony he bribed him and gave an eloquent defense for his actions. When Herod returned, Joseph's wife Salome (Herod's sister) accused Joseph of having unlawful intercourse with Mariamne. When Herod qíNPÞ uestioned Mariamne she denied everything and he believed her. But somehow she learned about the secret command that Herod had given Joseph, and Herod found out and became outraged and executed Joseph without a trial in 34 B.C. He also had Alexandra bound in chains and put in prison, blaming her for all of his troubles.â©íN2‰9 @€S€"š‚€‚€‚€‚ÿCleopatraThe fourth powerful opponent of King Herod was Cleopatra. As we just saw in the situation with Alexandra and how she went to Cleopatra, who in turn, reported everything to Marc Antony, Herod had serious problems with Cleopatra.Because of her relationship with Marc Antony her territory was increasing greatly. After his expedition against Armenia in 34 B.C. she persuaded him to give her all of Phoenicia, the coast of Philistia south of the river, a portion of the Arabia, and the district of Jericho with its balsam plantations and many palm trees. The area of Jericho was Herod's most fertile portion of land in his whole kingdom. Is interesting that every time Cleopatra visited her territories King Herod received her with celebration, although he despised her. Whenever she made attempts to trap him he would never give in.When the famous civil war broke out between Marc Antony and Octavius (later Augustus) Herod desired to take the cause of Marc Antony and help him in any way that he could. Cleopatra persuaded Marc Antony to order King Herod to go and fight against Malchus, the Arabian king. Malchus was late on his tribute and Cleopatra wanted him punished. But it was obvious that her real intent was that they would weakened each other or hopefully kill each other. This way she could easily overcome either of them.Herod did as Marc Antony ordered him and fight against Malchus. When Herod had achieved the initial victory over the Arabs, Cleopatra came and gave help to the Arabians which resulted in Herod's defeat. In 31 B.C. to a great earthquake happened in Herod's territory which killed over 30,000 people. At this time Herod made attempts to negotiate with the Arabs and sent an envoy to Arabia to make peace. When they arrived the Arabs slew them. When Herod heard what had happened he immediately gathered his army and attacked the Arabs and defeated them, he then returned home.Herod and Octavius{FP¹À5 8€€"š‚€€‚ÿOn September 2nd, 31 B.C. Marc Antony was defeated by Octavius at the Battle of Actium. This was devastating to Herod. He knew that he would answer ultimately to Octavius for everything. Herod then made a shrewd move, he murdered Hyrcanus II and accused him of plotting with the king of the Nabatean's. This would eliminate any possible rival who might rule in Judea, and his hopes were that somehow Octavius would allow him to remain as the ruler of Judea.In the spring of 30 B.C. Herod set out to meet with Octavius in Rhodes. But before he left he gave instructions to two of his friends that if he were to be executed they were to kill Alexandra and Mariamne, so that his sons and his brother Pheroras would rule in his place.What King Herod arrived in Rhodes to stand before Octavius he played his part well. He admitted right away that he was a loyal friend of Marc Antony and that he did not fight against Octavius because of his war against the Arabs. His argument to Octavius was that if he was loyal to Marc Antony then his loyalty would benefit Octavius. Octavius allowed Herod to remain as the ruler of Judea. Herod returned home.Later that year, in the summertime, Octavius came to the coast of Phoenicia on his way to Egypt. Herod met him and great him to Ptolemais with great celebration and a gift of 800 talents and supplies for the Roman soldiers during that hot season. Octavius was delighted.In August of 30 B.C. Octavius marched through Egypt and it was at this time that Marc Antony and Cleopatra committed suicide. When Herod heard this he came to Egypt to congratulate Octavius. Octavius gave him the title of king and returned to him not only Je2‰¹ÀÞ richo, but also Gadara, Hippos, Samaria, Gaza, Anthedon, Joppa, and Straton's Tower (later became Caesarea). Herod had definitely been given much.The Death of MariamneÞ2‰ÔÇ= H€½ €"š‚€€ €€‚ÿHerod enjoyed the so-called success of his kingdom, but things in Judea were far from peaceful. While he was at Rhodes, Mariamne had found out from one of Herod's friends named Soemus that Herod gave the order for her to be killed if he was executed. Therefore when Herod returned she was bitter toward him. Herod was very aware of all these things. His sister Salome and their mother Cyprus had always hated Mariamne and they began to spread slanderous stories about Mariamne in order to fill Herod with rage and jealousy. Herod did not listen to the stories. Salome bribed Herod's cup-bearer to say that Mariamne had prepared some sort of love-potion for the king. When King Herod heard this he desired to know what sort of potion this was. He tortured the cup-bearer and found out nothing about the potion, but he did find out that Mariamne despised him for wanting to put her to death if he was executed. Herod immediately realized that his friends had betrayed him and he ordered them to be executed immediately.Herod never really wanted to put Mariamne to death while he was alive, and Herod would not kill her but had her put in prison. Because of all this his emotions were so stirred that Salome took advantage of and somehow persuaded King Herod to have her finally executed.Josephus describes that Herod was never the same after Mariamne's death:"For he would frequently called for her, and frequently lament for her in a most indecent manner." Herod had gotten very sick to the point of death and Alexandra began to plot how that when he died she could secure the throne. When she had begun to make plans, they had been reported to King Herod and he immediately had her executed.The Death of the Last of the HasmoneansñȹÀÅÈ) €‘€"š‚€‚‚ÿAfter a long period of depression over Mariamne, Herod began his bloodshed once again and executed the last of the male relatives of Hyrcanus, anyone who could dispute his occupancy of the throne.?ÔÇÉ1= ÿÿÿÿÉ% His ProsperityIÅÈMÉ, (€:€6˜ˆ˜š‚€€‚ÿHerod the King 25-14 B.C.ÌSÉ% y À€§"€"š‚€€ €€ €€ €€ € € €€ € €€ €€ €€€‚ÿThis period is marked with splendor and enjoyment but there were also moments of great disturbance.The first thing mentioned about this period by Josephus is when Herod violated the Jewish law by introducing the quinquennial games in honor of Caesar and in so doing he built great theaters, amphitheaters, and race courses for both men and horses.Some time later, around 24 B.C., Herod built for himself a royal palace and also built or rebuilt many fortresses and Gentile temples, including the rebuilding of Straton's Tower which was renamed Caesarea (Jos. Antiq. xv. 8. 5-9. 6; 292-341). Of course, his greatest building was the Temple in Jerusalem which was begun in 20 or 19 B.C. Josephus considers it the most noble of all his achievements (Jos. Antiq. xv. 11. 1 ; 3 80). Rabbinic literature states:"He_who has not ,seen the Temple of Herod clever seen a beautiful building" -T BT: Baba Bathraa`-Tlso, It is suggested that it was his "atonement for having slain so many sages of Israel" -Midrash : Num 14:8 Also, during this period, he took great interest in culture and surrounded himself with a circle of men accomplished in Greek literature and art. The highest offices of state were entrusted to Greek rhetoricians, one of whom, Nicolas of Damascus, was Herod's instructor. He was Herod's advisor and was always included in Herod's dealings both before and after his death. Herod received instructions from him in philosophy, rhetoric, and history.As for his domestic affairs he married another Mariamne (who we will call Mariamne II), who was the daugMÉ% ÅÈhter of Simon, a well-known priest in Jerusalem around late 24 B.C. In 22 B.C. Herod sent his two sons of Mariamne I, Alexander and Aristobulus, to Rome for their education. Augustus himself took these sons gladly and they stayed at the house of Asinius Pollio who professed to be one of Herod's most devoted friends. During this time Augustus gave Herod the territories of Trachonitis, Batanea, and Auranitis which had been occupied by nomad robber tribes with whom the neighboring tetrarch Zenodorus had made common cause (Jos. Antiq. xv. 10. 1-2 ; 342-349; War i. 20. 4 ; 398, 399 ). It is seen that there was a friendly relationship between Augustus Caesar and Herod. Herod, undoubtedly, was considered an important king to Rome for he kept that section of the Roman empire well in control.When Augustus came to Syria in 20 B.C. he bestowed upon Herod the territory of Zenodorus or that which laid between Trachonitis and Galilee (containing Ulatha and Paneas) and made it so the procurators of Syria had to get Herod's consent for all of their action. He also asked Augustus for a territory for his brother Pheroras and apparently Augustus granted the request and he was given Perea. Because of these gracious bestowments of Augustus, Herod erected a beautiful temple for Augustus in the territory of Zenodorus, near the place called Paneion. Also, at this same time Herod remitted a third of the taxes under the pretext of crop failure but actually it was to bring goodwill among those who were displeased with his emphasis of Graeco-Roman culture and religion. The remittance of taxes was effective for the most part. There seemingly was a great dissatisfaction because Herod would not allow the people to gather together for fear of a revolt. He demanded a loyalty oath by the people, but excluded Pollion the Pharisee and his disciple Samaias, as well as most of their disciples. The Essenes did not have to submit to this oath because Josephus states that Herod had a high regard for them. (Jos. Antiq. xv. 10. 4 ; 365-372).Herod then made a trip to Rome to meet Augustus and bring his two sons home, who had completed their education (in 17 or 16 B.C.). Upon their return to Judea with Herod, Aristobulus was married to Salome's daughter Berenice and Alexander married Glaphyra, the daughter of Archelaus, king of Cappadocia.There can be no doubt that this period from 25-14 B.C. was the most brilliant in Herod’s entire reign. His building program was of great splendor. His domestic affairs were fairly good, but at the end of this period there would be great troubles that would arise in this area. Although he had some trouble within his political sphere, he had good control of his people and twice he favored them by lowering taxes (in 14 B.C. he reduced taxes by one-fourth, Jos. Antiq. xvi. 2. 5 ; 64, 65 ).BMÉg 1(Z¦‡€ÿÿÿÿg lÊDomestic ProblemsG% ® , (€6€6˜ˆ˜š‚€€‚ÿHerod the King 14-4 B.C‡ N g AG9 @€€"š‚€€€‚ÿWe can easily conclude from the writing of Josephus that during this period Herod’s biggest problems were domestic. Herod had married ten wives. His first wife was Doris by whom he had one son, Antipater. Herod renounced Doris and Antipater when he married Mariamne but they were allowed to visit Jerusalem only during the festivals.In 37 B.C. Herod married Mariamne, the granddaughter of Hyrcanus, who bore him five children. The two daughters were Salampsio and Cypros. The youngest son died during the course of his education in Rome. The older sons were Alexander and Aristobulus, who played an important part during this period of Herod's life. Herod married his third wife Mariamne II in late 24 B.C. by whom he had Herod (Philip). His fourth wife was a Samaritan, Malthace, by whom he had Archelaus and Antipas. His fifth wife, Cleopatra of Jerusalem, was the mother of Philip. Of the other five wives only Pallas, Phaedra, and Elpsis are known by name, and none of these are of significance.Herod's favorite sons were the sons of Mari® AG% amne I, Alexander and Aristobulus. After they had returned from Rome and had married Glaphyra and Berenice, troubles domestically began to come to the forefront. Salome, Herod's sister and mother of Berenice, hated these two sons and tried desperately to establish her own son. It may well be that to a certain degree the arrogance of the two sons of Mariamne I was because of being a part of the Hasmonean dynasty. Salome aggravated them by speaking ill of their mother whom Herod had killed, which caused them to defend her. Salome and Pheroras (brother of Herod and Salome) reported to Herod that his life was in danger because the two sons were not going to leave the murder of their mother unavenged and that Archelaus, king of Cappadocia (father of Glaphyra), would help them to reach the emperor and bring charges against their father.In order to somehow correct things and to show them that there might be another who could be heir to the throne, he recalled his exiled son Antipater. In the spring of 13 B.C. Herod sent Antipater to Rome in the company of Agrippa (friend of Augustus), who left the east to go to Rome, so that he might present Antipater to the emperor. But instead of helping correct things, Antipater used every conceivable means to acquire the throne. He used slander against his two half brothers. The problems between Herod and Mariamne's two sons became so great that Herod decided to accuse his two sons before the emperor. In 12 B.C. the two sons went with Herod and they were tried before Augustus in Aquileia. After the case was heard Augustus was able to reconcile Herod and his sons, and having restored domestic peace, the father, the two sons, and Antipater returned home. When they arrived home Herod named Antipater as his first successor and next after him were to be Alexander and Aristobulus.é"¡"® BÊH ^€CE€"š‚€‚ÿNot long after they had arrived home Antipater, being helped by Herod's sister Salome and Herod's brother Pheroras, began to slander the two sons of Mariamne. Alexander and Aristobulus became more hostile in their attitude. Herod became suspicious and became more and more fearful about the situation. Antipater played on Herod's fears. He even caused the friends of Alexander to be tortured so that they might confess any attempt to take Herod's life and one friend made the admission that Alexander, with the help of Aristobulus, had planned to kill him and then flee to Rome to lay claim on his kingdom. For this Alexander was committed to prison. When the Cappadocian king Archelaus, Alexander's father-in-law, heard of this state of affairs, he began to fear for his daughter and son-in-law and thus made a journey to Jerusalem to see if there could be reconciliation. He appeared before Herod very angry over his good-for-nothing son-in-law and threatened to take his daughter back with him. This was actually a very sly maneuver on the part of Archelaus because, in doing this, Herod defended his son against Archelaus and Archelaus accomplished the reconciliation he desired and then returned to his home. This probably happened in 10 B.C. Thus there was peace once again in Herod's household.During this same period Herod had troubles with some foreign enemies and with the emperor. Syllaeus, who ruled in the place of the Arabian king Obodas and who was very hostile to Herod, gave shelter to forty rebels of Trachonitis and tried to relieve his country from paying a debt contracted with Herod. Herod demanded that he hand over the rebels and pay the debt. With the consent of the governor of Syria, Saturninus, Herod invaded Arabia and enforced his rights (around 9 B.C.). This was only to be a disciplinary measure with no intentions of territorial gain, but Syllaeus had meanwhile gone to Rome and distorted the picture with the result that Augustus became suspicious and indicated to Herod that their friendship was at an end and that he would no longer treat him as a friend but as a subject. In order to justify himself Herod sent an embassy AGÿÿÿÿ% to Rome and when this failed he sent a second under the leadership of Nicolas of Damascus (Jos. Antiq. xvi. 9. 1-4 ; 271-299).Meanwhile the domestic conflicts again came to the forefront. A certain Eurycles from Lacedemon, a man of bad character, inflamed the father against the sons and the sons against the father. As other mischief-makers became involved, Herod's patience was exhausted and he put Alexander and Aristobulus into prison, and laid a complaint against them before the emperor of their being involved in treasonable plots.Meanwhile Nicolas of Damascus had accomplished his mission and had again won over the emperor to Herod. When the messengers who were bringing the accusations of Herod reached Rome, they found Augustus in a favorable mood and he gave Herod absolute power to proceed in the matter of his sons as he wished but advised him that the trial should take place outside of Herod's territory at Berytus (Beirut), before a court of which Roman officials would form part and to have the charges against his sons investigated.Herod accepted the advice of the emperor. Although the governor of Syria, Saturninus, and his three sons thought that the sons were guilty but should not be put to death, the court almost unanimously pronounced the death sentence upon the sons. Tiro, an old soldier, publicly proclaimed that the trial had been unjust and the truth suppressed. But he and 300 others were not considered to be friends of Alexander and Aristobulus and thus they were executed. Therefore, at Sebaste (Samaria), where Herod had married Mariamne thirty years before, her two sons were executed by strangling, prob. in 7 B.C. Antipater, now remaining the sole heir and enjoying the full confidence of his father, was still not satisfied, for he wished to have the government wholly in his own hands. He held secret conferences with Herod's brother Pheroras, tetrarch of Perea, which Salome reported to her brother Herod, stating that they were contriving to kill him. Thus the relationship of Antipater and his father became tense. Antipater knew this and wrote to his friends in Rome to ask if Augustus would instruct Herod to send Antipater to Rome. Herod sent him to Rome and designated in his will that Antipater was his successor to the throne and in the event that Antipater's death might occur before his own, Herod (Philip), son of Mariamne II, the high priest's daughter, was named as his successor.While Antipater was in Rome, Pheroras died which proved to be the seal of Antipater's fate. Freedmen of Pheroras went to Herod to relate to him that Pheroras had been poisoned and that Herod should investigate the matter more closely. It was found out that the poison was sent by Antipater with the intention not to kill Pheroras but rather that Pheroras might give it to Herod. Herod also learned from the female slaves of Pheroras' household of the complaints that Antipater had made at those secret meetings regarding the king's long life and about the uncertainties of his prospects. Herod immediately recalled Antipater, disguising his real intentions, and Antipater returned with no suspicion. When he arrived he was committed to prison in the king's palace and was tried the very next day before Varus, the governor of Syria. With all of the accusations and proofs against him, Antipater could make no defense. Herod put him in chains and made a report of the matter to the emperor. This occurred in 5 B.C.Another plot of Antipater against Herod was unveiled and Herod desired to kill him. Herod became very ill with a disease from which he would not recover. Therefore, he drew up a new will in which he by-passed his eldest sons, Archelaus and Philip, because Antipater had poisoned his mind against them. Instead he chose the youngest son, Antipas, as his sole successor.Shortly before his death the Magi had come to Judea to worship the newborn king of the Jews. Herod summoned these Magi, asking them to report to him the location of the Christ child when they found Him in Bethlehem. Being warned in a dream, the Magi didAGBÊ%  not return to Herod but departed to the east by another route. The Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and told him to flee to Egypt because of Herod's intention to kill Jesus. Joseph and Mary fled to Egypt and Herod killed all the male children of Bethlehem who were two years and under.Herod was now nearly seventy years old and his sickness grew worse. As news spread that he had an incurable disease, two rabbis, Judas, son of Sepphoraeus, and Matthias, son of Margalus, stirred up the people to tear down the Roman eagle from the Temple gate that had been such an offence to the Jews. These rabbis stated that this action would be pleasing to God. Herod, having heard this, seized the offenders and passed sentences of death upon them and had all the chief leaders publicly burned alive.As Herod's disease grew worse the baths at Callirrhoe no longer benefited him. When he returned to Jericho he commanded all notable Jews from all parts of the nation to come to him and when they arrived he shut them up in the hippodrome, summoned his sister Salome and her husband Alexas, and ordered that all these leaders should be executed at the moment he died so that there would be a national mourning rather than a festival when he died. At the time he was giving these instructions, he received a letter from Rome in which the emperor gave him permission to execute his son, Antipater, and thus he did so immediately. Herod again changed his mind and nominated Archelaus, the older son of Malthace, as king and his brothers Antipas as tetrarch of Galilee and Perea and Philip as tetrarch of Gaulanitis, Trachonitis, Batanea, and Paneas.Finally, five days after the execution of Antipater, Herod died at Jericho in the spring of 4 B.C. Salome and Alexas released the Jewish nobles who were imprisoned to the hippodrome. Ptolemy, who had been entrusted with the king's seal, read Herod's last will in public and the crowd acclaimed Archelaus as their king. A pompous funeral procession accompanied the body from Jericho, a distance of one mile in the direction of the Herodian, where it was finally laid.Herod's reign lasted around thirty-three years. It was for the most part one of violence. The middle of his reign was by far the most peaceful. It is important to realize that though his reign was characterized by violence, the rulers of that day were not much different than he was. Throughout his reign he was never liked by the Jews because of his lifestyle and his unconcern for their law. Although he was the king of the Jews, many of his subjects would never treat him as truly a Jewish king.*AGlÊ' €€"š‚€‚ÿ< BʨÊ1 ÿÿÿÿ¨ÊðHerods WillDlÊìÊ, (€0€6˜ˆ˜š‚€€‚ÿHerods Will DisputedΠ¨ÊÆ. *€A €"š‚€‚ÿDuring his life Herod had written six wills and the sixth will was made only five days before his death. No doubt it needed the authorization of the emperor. So as soon as Herod died Archelaus took over the leadership but he did not accept the title of king nor allow himself to be crowned. Immediately after the Passover Archelaus and Antipas left for Rome to dispute the last two wills of Herod while Philip took care of the home front. Archelaus claimed that Augustus should ratify Herod's last will because it expressed Herod's desire just before he died. On the other hand Antipas claimed that the fifth will which already had been ratified did have greater validity because when Herod designated Antipas as king he was in good physical and mental health, whereas when he named Archelaus as king in the codicils he was stricken both in mind and body and was incapable of good reasoning. To complicate the situation further, there was a revolt in Palestine while the two brothers were in Rome disputing the will. The result of this revolt was that a Jewish delegation was sent to Rome pleading for the autonomy of the nation and for its union with the province of Syria. By now Philip had also gone to Rome.After long debate and delay AugustusìÊÆlÊ decided on a compromise solution, Augustus designated Archelaus as ethnarch with the promise to be made king if he proved capable of that position and was to rule over Idumea, Judea, and; Samaria. Antipas was made tetrarch over Galilee and Perea and Philip was made tetrarch over Gaulanitis, Tranchonitis, Batanea, and Paneas. Therefore, although Antipas lost claim to kingship, he prevented Archelaus from being king over the whole realm.*ìÊð' €€"š‚€‚ÿ; Æ+1n€›€ ÿÿÿÿ+Ó@Scriptures:ðe, (€€6˜ˆ˜š‚€€‚ÿScriptures>+£0 .€€"š‚€‚‚€‚‚‚ÿKing of Judah (Herod the Great) Matthew 2 1 Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, 2 saying, "Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we have seen His star in the East and have come to worship Him." 3 When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. 4 And when he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together, he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born. Geê+ $€9€"š‚€‚‚‚‚ÿ5 So they said to him, "In Bethlehem of Judea, for thus it is written by the prophet: 6'But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, Are not the least among the rulers of Judah; For out of you shall come a Ruler Who will shepherd My people Israel.' " 7 Then Herod, when he had secretly called the wise men, determined from them what time the star appeared. 8 And he sent them to Bethlehem and said, "Go and search diligently for the young Child, and when you have found Him, bring back word to me, that I may come and worship Him also." €U£j + $€«€"š‚€‚‚‚‚ÿ9 When they heard the king, they departed; and behold, the star which they had seen in the East went before them, till it came and stood over where the young Child was. 10 When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceedingly great joy. 11 And when they had come into the house, they saw the young Child with Mary His mother, and fell down and worshiped Him. And when they had opened their treasures, they presented gifts to Him: gold, frankincense, and myrrh. 12 Then, being divinely warned in a dream that they should not return to Herod, they departed for their own country another way. %ûê * "€÷€"š‚€‚‚‚ÿ13 Now when they had departed, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream, saying, "Arise, take the young Child and His mother, flee to Egypt, and stay there until I bring you word; for Herod will seek the young Child to destroy Him." 14 When he arose, he took the young Child and His mother by night and departed for Egypt, 15 and was there until the death of Herod, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying, "Out of Egypt I called My Son." 7 j Æ * "€€"š‚€‚‚‚ÿ16 Then Herod, when he saw that he was deceived by the wise men, was exceedingly angry; and he sent forth and put to death all the male children who were in Bethlehem and in all its districts, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had determined from the wise men. 17 Then was fulfilled what was spoken by Jeremiah the prophet, saying: 18 "A voice was heard in Ramah, Lamentation, weeping, and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children, Refusing to be comforted, Because they are no more." < @+ $€#€"š‚€‚‚‚‚ÿ19 But when Herod was dead, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt, 20 saying, "Arise, take the young Child and His mother, and go to the land of Israel, for those who sought the young Child's life are dead." 21 Then he arose, took the young Child and His mother, and came into the land of Israel. 22 But when he heard that Archelaus was reigning over Judea instead of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there. And being warned by God in a dream, he turned aside into the region of Galilee. Æ @ðÅ›Æ Ó@* "€7€"š‚€‚‚‚ÿ23 And he came and dwelt in a city called Nazareth, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophets, "He shall be called a Nazarene." NKJV= @A1, ÿÿÿÿAÿADictionaries<Ó@LA, (€ €6˜ˆ˜š‚€€‚ÿDictionaries³\AÿAW ~€¸€"š‚ëþ±àv€‰€‚ëÃ/Ñ"€‰€‚ë LA=B1 ›€d ÿÿÿÿ=B CEncyclopedias=ÿAzB, (€"€6˜ˆ˜š‚€€‚ÿEncyclopedias’L=B CF \€˜€"š‚ëü‡€‰€‚ëú€‰€‚‚ÿInternational Standard Bible Encyclopedia Columbia Encyclopedia @zBLC1kú ÿÿÿÿLCwDGenealogy Chart@ CŒC, (€(€6˜ˆ˜š‚€€‚ÿGenealogy Chartsë‚LCwDi  €€"š‚ë»Â!à€‰€‚ëçÖ〉€‚ë’ôÔ€‰€‚ë1üôQ€‰€‚‚ÿThe Herodians The Hasmoneans The Descendants of Herod and Mariamne The Descendants of Herod and Other Wives : ŒC±D1G d=Œ ÿÿÿÿ±D¾OHis Death9 wDêD, (€€6˜ˆ˜š‚€€‚ÿHis Deathk0±DUM; D€a€"š‚€€ € €‚ÿThe historian, Josephus, describes the death of Herod at great length. When Herod's health began to fail him rapidly, he was moved to his winter capital in Jericho. From there he was carried by stretcher to the hot springs on the shores of the Dead Sea. The springs did no good; Herod returned home. Racked by hopelessness, Herod attempted suicide. Rumors of the attempt caused loud wailing throughout the palace. Herod's son, imprisoned by his paranoid father, mistook the cries to mean his father was dead. Immediately, he tried to bribe his jailers, who reported the bribery attempt to Herod. The sick king ordered his son executed on the spot. Now Herod plunged deeper into depression. He was only days away from his own death- and he knew it. What pained him most was the knowledge that his death would be met with joy in Judea. To forestall this, he devised an incredible plan.Having assembled the most distinguished men from every village from one end of Judea to the other, he ordered them to be locked in the hippodrome at Jericho. Josephus- Jewish WarsHerod then gave the order to execute them at the very moment he, himself, died. His sick mind reasoned that their death would dispel any joy in Judea over his own death. The order was never carried out.After Herod's death, his body was carried in procession from Jericho to the Herodium outside Bethlehem for burial. Herod's body was adorned in purple, a crown of gold rested on his head, and a scepter of gold was placed in his hand. The bier bearing his body was made of gold and studded with jewels that sparkled as it was carried along under the desert sun. Following the bier was Herod's household and hundreds of slaves, swinging censers. Slowly, the procession inched its way up the mountainside to the Herodium, where it was laid to rest.Today, the excavated ruins of the Herodium stand out grandly against the clear blue sky- reminding Bethlehem-bound tourists of the king who sought to kill the child whom they have come so far to honor.When Herod died, the pagans among them mourned while the Jews rejoiced.?êD”O< F€€"š‚€‚€‚€€ €‚ÿThe Herodium Looking like a volcano, the Herodium is one of several fortress-palaces built by Herod the Great. It was artificially shaped, with everything placed inside its protected craterlike top. Josephus wrote of the Herodium: "Two hundred steps of purest white marble led up to it. Its top was crowned with circular towers; its courtyard contained splendid structures."In the 1960s archaeologists unearthed the courtyard, fortification towers, and palace. No trace of Herod's remains were found.*UM¾O' €€"š‚€‚ÿA”O €1wúªÿÿÿÿ €3ƒHerod in History¾O €¾O@¾OL€, (€(€6˜ˆ˜š‚€€‚ÿHerod in History½“ € ƒ* "€'€"š‚€‚ÿHerod was an excellent king in certain respects. He maintained external peace in his land. He beautified his own and neighboring countries. He was admired not only by the Roman empire, but also by the Jews outside Judea whose standards of value had changed through contact with Greek civilization. It is not difficult to understand why many people called Herod "the Great."Yet the majority of Jews of his own kingdom disliked him, and Jews of later generations called him "the Wicked." He pleased the pagans in the land and the cities prospered but the common Jew sank into poverty. When Herod died, the pagans among them mourned while the Jews rejoiced.*L€3ƒ' €€"š‚€‚ÿ< ƒoƒ1=Œÿÿÿÿoƒ6…His Cruelty;3ƒªƒ, (€€6˜ˆ˜š‚€€‚ÿHis CrueltyŒ[oƒ6…1 0€·€"š‚€€ €‚‚ÿHerod's slaughter of the infant boys as accounted in the New Testament vividly reflects the pathological character of the king. He murdered members of his own family- yet scrupulously observed Mosaic dietary laws and would eat no pork. This provoked his Roman master Augustus into jesting: "I would rather be Herod's pig than Herod's son."?ªƒu…1ª€ÿÿÿÿu…#ÂHerod's Temple>6…³…, (€$€6˜ˆ˜š‚€€‚ÿHerod's Temple‚Lu…5Š6 :€™€"š‚€€€‚ÿFrom Augustus, Herod obtained the right to intervene on behalf of the Jews wherever in the Roman empire they might be annoyed. But, above all, he tried to prove that Greek temples were not his only concern by undertaking to rebuild and beautify the Temple in Jerusalem.Almost five hundred years had elapsed since the Second Temple had been built by those who returned from the Babylonian Exile. After that the Temple had no doubt been repaired and enlarged, but it remained essentially the old building, inferior in beauty and grandeur to some of the pagan temples which were around.Not only was it contrary to Herod's love of architecture to permit the Temple of his own God to remain so modest, but he thought to show his piety to the Jews by making their Temple grander than the rest.The leading scribes at first opposed his plan being very suspicious of the whole thing. They actually believed that once he pulled the old building down he would never replace it. Herod had to promise that he would not touch the old building until he had built the new one around it. Its Construction¾³…5B R€} €"š‚€ëÀ« €‰€‚ÿOnce things commenced, under no circumstances were the services to be interrupted. Herod hired workmen by the thousands. Among them were many priests to build those portions not accessible to ordinary Jews.The work was started by leveling larger portions of the Temple Mount, so that the new building might be erected on a broader base. It was also made much taller, so that the white stone gleamed in the bright Palestinian sun and could be seen from miles away.On the northern and southern sides of the building were the enclosed halls or rooms where the priests prepared for the service, and where the Sanhedrin met. The large open court on the east, facing the Temple proper, was divided into several parts.Closest to the Temple was the portion set aside for the altar and the officiating priests. Next to it was the court for the Israelites who came to watch the service. By the side of that was the gallery for the women, and behind it was the court of the Gentiles.The whole area was surrounded by a wall. This is the wall, part of which remains to this day, known as "The Wailing Wall," to which Jews have gone on pilgrimage during the recent centuries of exile.See also Herod's Buildings ¸€5ŠùÁ8 >€€"š‚€‚€€ €‚€‚ÿHerod’s Roman EagleThe Temple took many years to build. Begun in 19 BC, it was not finished till long after Herod's death. The Jews prided i5ùÁ6…n Herod's accomplishment until Herod placed a huge Roman eagle over the most important gate of the new Temple.Before long there was a conspiracy to pull the eagle down. When rumor circulated that Herod was dying, a group of young men gathered before the gate on which the golden eagle was set and began to pull it down. The soldiers interfered and arrested about forty of them. Herod was so enraged at this sign of insubordination and insult to Rome, that he had the "rebels" burned alive.*5#Â' €€"š‚€‚ÿ> ùÁaÂ1ˆÿÿÿÿaÂHis BuildingsZ(#»Â2 4€P€6˜ˆ˜š‚€€€€‚ÿHerod’s Buildings and Achievementsl7aÂ'Å5 8€o€"š‚€‚€€‚ÿHerod and the JewsHerod had high hopes for Hellenization among his Jewish subjects. Of course, Herod considered himself a Jew. Herod knew better than to force Hellenization upon his Jewish subjects.Gradually he tried introducing them to those Greek habits of life which he himself admired. Jerusalem also benefited from his building activity. He erected a theater and a hippodrome within the city. Foreign visitors to his capital would feel more at home and would not look down upon him as an insignificant king of a "barbarian" people.Herod - The Builder2Ý »ÂeU x€»€"š‚€€ €€ €‚ÿAccording to the Greek standards of that day, a good king encouraged games and theaters and was active in building. King Herod was considered one of the greatest builders of the ancient world. He constructed pagan temples and amphitheaters in various Greek cities within and outside his domain. Athens, Sparta and Rhodes benefited from his liberality and he made large contributions of money to the Olympic games.Rome was very interested in King Herod's ability to bring peace to the territories on his northeastern frontier and I guess this granted these territories to Herod's kingdom: Trachonitis, Batanea, and Auranitis in 23 B.C. and the territory of Ituraea in 20 B.C. To make Augustus even more grateful and to further the emperor's cultural policy, Herod invested in vast building enterprises. Many old cities were refounded and new cities were built.Temples, hippodromes and amphitheaters were constructed, not only in Judea but in foreign cities such as Athens. Within his own kingdom he rebuilt Samaria and renamed it Sebaste, after the emperor (Sebastos is the Greek equivalent of the Latin Augustus).King Herod also rebuilt Strato's Tower on the beautiful coast of the Mediterranean and built a large artificial harbor. He called the new city Caesarea, also in honor of the emperor. This project lasted some twelve years, from 22 to 10 B.C.There are many more projects that can be mentioned in these areas and throughout the land, settlements and strongholds, many of which bore names honoring the emperor or members of Herod's own family, such as Antipatris (on the road from Jerusalem to Caesarea), Cypros (at Jericho), and Phasaelis (west of the Jordan).At Jerusalem he built a royal palace for himself connecting the Western Wall. He rebuilt the Hasmonean fortress of Baris and renamed it Antonia (after Marc Antony).But the greatest of all of King Herod's building enterprises was his reconstruction of the Temple in Jerusalem. This massive project was begun early in 19 B.C.If thousand Levites were trained as builders, and they fulfilled their work in such a way that the sacred rituals of the holy place would never interrupted while the work was happening.The tremendous outer court was enclosed, surrounded by colonnades, and the whole area was splendid and beautiful was awesome gateways and other architectural marvel's. The Temple became world renowned for its magnificence:"Far off appearing like a Mount of alabaster, topped with golden spires."Although the majority of the work of reconstruction was completed while Herod was still alive, the final details were not completed until 63 A.D., only seven years before its destructio'Åe#Ân.The Jews appreciated much of Herod's buildings and achievements but would never forgive him for his destruction of the Hasmonean family, they would not forget his Edomite ancestry. No matter how much money he spent on the Temple and other projects he could never win the favor of his subjects.Augustus Caesar and Herod's friend Agrippa said: "Herod's realm was far too small for his liberality."Herod's Gentile subjects were happy that he liked to please them. To them Herod was "Herod the Great."Other achievements are worth mentioning, especially in the area of culture. History was being recorded: King Herod's court chronicler, Nicolas of Damascus, wrote a Universal History in 144 books. This work included a detailed record of Herod's reign, which Josephus used as a principal source for this part of Herod's history in his writings.*'Å' €€"š‚€‚ÿCeÒ1\*€€ÿÿÿÿÒ/OHerod and OctavianB, (€,€6˜ˆ˜š‚€€‚ÿHerod and Octavianå¤ÒOA P€I5€"š‚€€€€ €‚ÿJosephus on Herod Before OctavianIn his long work, Wars of the Jews, the historian Josephus recounts how Herod, after providing support to Mark Antony in the latter's unsuccessful struggle against Octavius ("Caesar"), gained an audience with Octavius and persuaded him that he could be as good a friend to him as he had been to Antony.HEROD IS CONFIRMED IN HIS KINGDOM BY CAESAR, AND CULTIVATES A FRIENDSHIP WITH THE EMPEROR BY MAGNIFICENT PRESENTS; WHILE CAESAR RETURNS HIS KINDNESS BY BESTOWING ON HIM THAT PART OF HIS KINGDOM WHICH HAD BEEN TAKEN AWAY FROM IT BY CLEOPATRA WITH THE ADDITION OF ZENODORUSS COUNTRY ALSO.1. BUT now Herod was under immediate concern about a most important affair, on account of his friendship with Antony, who was already overcome at Actium by Caesar; yet he was more afraid than hurt; for Caesar did not think he had quite undone Antony, while Herod continued his assistance to him. However, the king resolved to expose himself to dangers: accordingly he sailed to Rhodes, where Caesar then abode, and came to him without his diadem, and in the habit and appearance of a private person, but in his behavior as a king. So he concealed nothing of the truth, but spike thus before his face: "O Caesar, as I was made king of the Jews by Antony, so do I profess that I have used my royal authority in the best manner, and entirely for his advantage; nor will I conceal this further, that thou hadst certainly found me in arms, and an inseparable companion of his, had not the Arabians hindered me. However, I sent him as many auxiliaries as I was able, and many ten thousand [cori] of corn. Nay, indeed, I did not desert my benefactor after the bow that was given him at Actium; but I gave him the best advice I was able, when I was no longer able to assist him in the war; and I told him that there was but one way of recovering his affairs, and that was to kill Cleopatra; and I promised him that, if she were once dead, I would afford him money and walls for his security, with an army and myself to assist him in his war against thee: but his affections for Cleopatra stopped his ears, as did God himself also who hath bestowed the government on thee. I own myself also to be overcome together with him; and with his last fortune I have laid aside my diadem, and am come hither to thee, having my hopes of safety in thy virtue; and I desire that thou wilt first consider how faithful a friend, and not whose friend, I have been." 2. Caesar replied to him thus: "Nay, thou shalt not only be in safety, but thou shalt be a king; and that more firmly than thou wast before; for thou art worthy to reign over a great many subjects, by reason of the fastness of thy friendship; and do thou endeavor to be equally constant in thy friendship to me, upon my good success, which is what I depend upon from the generosity of thy disposition. However, Antony hath done well in preferring Cleopatra to thee; for by this means we have gained thee by herO madness, and thus thou hast begun to be my friend before I began to be thine; on which account Quintus Didius hath written to me that thou sentest him assistance against the gladiators. I do therefore assure thee that I will confirm the kingdom to thee by decree: I shall also endeavor to do thee some further kindness hereafter, that thou mayst find no loss in the want of Antony." 3. When Caesar had spoken such obliging things to the king, and had put the diadem again about his head, he proclaimed what he had bestowed on him by a decree, in which he enlarged in the commendation of the man after a magnificent manner. Whereupon Herod obliged him to be kind to him by the presents he gave him, and he desired him to forgive Alexander, one of Antony's friends, who was become a supplicant to him. But Caesar's anger against him prevailed, and he complained of the many and very great offenses the man whom he petitioned for had been guilty of; and by that means he rejected his petition. After this Caesar went for Egypt through Syria, when Herod received him with royal and rich entertainments; and then did he first of all ride along with Caesar, as he was reviewing his army about Ptolemais, and feasted him with all his friends, and then distributed among the rest of the army what was necessary to feast them withal. He also made a plentiful provision of water for them, when they were to march as far as Pelusium, through a dry country, which he did also in like manner at their return thence; nor were there any necessaries wanting to that army. It was therefore the opinion, both of Caesar and of his soldiers, that Herod's kingdom was too small for those generous presents he made them; for which reason, when Caesar was come into Egypt, and Cleopatra and Antony were dead, he did not only bestow other marks of honor upon him, but made an addition to his kingdom, by giving him not only the country which had been taken from him by Cleopatra, but besides that, Gadara, and Hippos, and Samaria; and moreover, of the maritime cities, Gaza (31) and Anthedon, and Joppa, and Strato's Tower. He also made him a present of four hundred Galls [Galatians] as a guard for his body, which they had been to Cleopatra before. Nor did any thing so strongly induce Caesar to make these presents as the generosity of him that received them. 4. Moreover, after the first games at Actium, he added to his kingdom both the region called Trachonitis, and what lay in its neighborhood, Batanea, and the country of Auranitis; and that on the following occasion: Zenodorus, who had hired the house of Lysanias, had all along sent robbers out of Trachonitis among the Damascenes; who thereupon had recourse to Varro, the president of Syria, and desired of him that he would represent the calamity they were in to Caesar. When Caesar was acquainted with it, he sent back orders that this nest of robbers should be destroyed. Varro therefore made an expedition against them, and cleared the land of those men, and took it away from Zenodorus. Caesar did also afterward bestow it on Herod, that it might not again become a receptacle for those robbers that had come against Damascus. He also made him a procurator of all Syria, and this on the tenth year afterward, when he came again into that province; and this was so established, that the other procurators could not do any thing in the administration without his advice: but when Zenodorus was dead, Caesar bestowed on him all that land which lay between Trachonitis and Galilee. Yet, what was still of more consequence to Herod, he was beloved by Caesar next after Agrippa, and by Agrippa next after Caesar; whence he arrived at a very great degree of felicity. Yet did the greatness of his soul exceed it, and the main part of his magnanimity was extended to the promotion of piety.*/O' €€"š‚€‚ÿAOpO1ã΂ ÿÿÿÿpOåÅKing of the Jews@/O°O, (€(€6˜ˆ˜š‚€€‚ÿKing of the Jews=pOù…- (€! €"š‚€‚€‚ÿHow he became kingHerod was an I°Où…/Odumaenean, from the Land of Edom, a desert region of nomads to the south of Judaea. His father was Antipater, who became a trusted procurator of Judaea, and his mother was Kupros, a woman of Arab descent. At that time the King of Judaea was Hyrcanus II. He was from the family of Hasmoneans, a popular nationalist, Jewish family who had been priests and Kings of the area from about the second century BC. Antipater was, in his new position and friendship with King Hyrcanus II able to secure good jobs for his sons. One of them, Phasael was made prefect of Jerusalem and the other son, Herod, was given the job of military prefect of Galilee. Herod, now moving in the royal circles, caught the eye of Mariamne, the granddaughter of Hyrcanus II and, after divorcing his wife Doris, they became engaged to be married. However, in 40 BC things took a turn for the worse as the Parthians invaded the area and set up Antigonus, another Hasmonaean, as King. As Jerusalem fell, Herod escaped with his family but Hyrcanus and Phasael were captured. After making sure that his family were safe he set off for Rome where he persuaded the Roman senate to give him the title, 'King of the Jews', and to pledge himself to return and take Judaea back under Roman allegiance. He returned to the Palestine region and starting from Galilee he slowly took control of his kingdom. In just three years he succeeded in capturing Antigonus, and with his new bride Mariamne, the grandaughter of Hyrcanus, he began to rule his kingdom. &ù°O‹- (€ó €"š‚€‚€‚ÿHerod's InsecurityKing Herod began to rebuild the temple. He established new towns and harbours and brought neighbouring regions into his own kingdom and in alliance to Rome. However, this apparently successful story of how a member of an Idumaenean nomadic family became the ruler of a kingdom was unfortunately marred by Herod's chronic insecurity. This was partly because the Jews did not like him because he was an Idumaenean. Although he practised Judaism, it was not thought that he gave it much priority. In modern terms he was a multi-faith enthusiast, giving credence to other religious ideas which in Jewish eyes diluted his conviction to the faith . Also against him was his overthrowing of Antigonus from the popular Hasmonean family. He tried to overcome this by marrying Mariamne, King Hyrcanus II's grandaughter, and therefore a Hasmonean princess. He also curried favour with the people by placing Hasmoneans in important positions in his court. This had the affect of making people tolerate his kingship but it also made him feel under even more threat from the very people he had promoted. and led to increasing insecurity. Having reached the heights of Kingship, he never felt totally secure and he saw conspiracy and plotting from every quarter. ™lù…ÄÂ- (€Ù€"š‚€‚€‚ÿThe killing BeginsFirst to be killed on his orders was his brother-in-law and high priest, Aristobulus. While answering the charge of his murder in Egypt he gave the order to his uncle Joseph that if he should die, then his wife and her mother were to be executed. Herod managed to talk his way out of the murder charge, but on his return to Jerusalem found that his wife had learned his arrangement with Joseph. Needless to say Mariamne was none too pleased to hear of this arrangement! Herod began to wonder why Joseph had told Mariamne, and came to the wrong conclusion they were having an affair. In fact Joseph had told her of the plan in order to demonstrate Herod's love for her. However, despite the total lack of evidence Joseph was executed. Herod was very much in love with Mariamne, but with jealous accusations from other wives and Mariamne's increasing coldness towards him, he eventually persuaded himself to have her executed too. He regretted it straight away and became filled with guilt, making himself mentally and physically ill. Thinking that Herod was about to die, Alexandra, Mariamne's mother made arrangements to put Herod's children by Mariamne, Alexander and Aristobulus, o‹ÄÂ/On the throne. She too was then executed for her presumption! Herod had 10 wives altogether and towards the end of Herod's life, Antipater, the eldest son by his first wife began to realise that he was not favoured to take over from his father. He was deeply jealous of the sons of Mariamne, and in order to discredit them he accused his two step brothers of treachery and, believing him, Herod had them both executed too. Antipater must have thought he had got away with it, but just before Herod died, Antipater was executed as well, accused of trying to accelerate his death. Signing Antipater's death warrant, Augustus Caesar remarked that he would rather be Herod's pig than Herod's son! ÷Ë‹»Å, &€—€"š‚€‚€‚ÿHerod's DeathJust before his death, Herod, realising that when he died there would be no great mourning, sent letters to the principle heads of every family in Judaism demanding their presence on pain of death. Having got them to Jerusalem, Herod ordered them to be locked up in the horse-racing ground. He then gave the orders to his sister that upon his death they were all to be executed. Thus making sure that the whole nation would mourn when he died, albeit not for him. Fortunately, when Herod died, his sister released the imprisoned Jews and allowed them to return home. Herod died 37 years after being declared 'King of the Jews', leaving four sons, to whom was given one quarter of his kingdom each.*ÄÂåÅ' €€"š‚€‚ÿ> »Å#Æ1x€Ô‚ ÿÿÿÿ#Æ]ÆThe Herodians:åÅ]Æ5 :€ €6 ˜ˆ˜š‚€†"€€‚ÿ?#ÆœÆ1y΂ Ú‚ ÿÿÿÿœÆÖÆThe Hasmoneans:]ÆÖÆ5 :€ €6 ˜ˆ˜š‚€†"€€‚ÿV%œÆ,Ç1Ô‚ à‚ ÿÿÿÿ,ÇfÇThe Descendants of Herod and Mariamne:ÖÆfÇ5 :€ €6 ˜ˆ˜š‚€†"€€‚ÿY(,Ç¿Ç1“Ú‚ æ‚ ÿÿÿÿ¿ÇùÇThe Descendants of Herod and Other Wives:fÇùÇ5 :€ €6 ˜ˆ˜š‚€†"€€‚ÿ= ¿Ç6È1hà‚ w… ÿÿÿÿ6ÈaËIntroduction<ùÇrÈ, (€ €6˜ˆ˜š‚€€‚ÿIntroduction'ó6È™Ê4 6€ç€"š‚€‚€‚‚‚‚‚€‚ÿBKA 109 – Herod the GreatThank you for downloading BKA 109 – Herod the Great. This Bible Knowledge Accelerator program contains a very brief overview of the life and history of the Herod I (The Great). You can download more detailed studies concerning various topics by visiting Bible History Online.The Bible Knowledge Accelerator series is brought to you by Bible History Online and written by Rusty Russell. You can visit Bible History Online on the Web at:http://www.bible-history.comÈŽrÈaË: B€€"š‚€‚‚€‚€‚‚€€‚‚ÿYou can also visit the store for more programs at:http://www.merchantamerica.com/bibleMy Email Address is:rusty@bible-history.comJ™Ê«Ë1Ö æ‚ i ÿÿÿÿ«Ë%Easton's Bible DictionaryIaËôË, (€:€6˜ˆ˜š‚€€‚ÿEaston's Bible DictionaryZ,«ËZ. *€Y €"š‚€€‚‚‚‚ÿHerod the Great (Matthew 2:1-22; Luke 1:5; Acts 23:35), the son of Antipater, an Idumaean, and Cypros, an Arabian of noble descent. In the year B.C. 47 Julius Caesar made Antipater, a "wily Idumaean," procurator of Judea, who divided his territories between his four sons, Galilee falling to the lot of Herod, who was afterwards appointed tetrarch of Judea by Mark Antony (B.C. 40), and also king of Judea by the Roman senate. He was of a stern and cruel disposition. "He was brutish and a stranger to all humanity." Alarmed by the tidings of one "born King of the Jews," he sent forth and "slew all the children that were in Bethlehem, and in all the coasts thereof, from two years old and under" (Matthew 2:16). He was fond of splendour, and lavished great sums in rebuilding and adorning the cities of his empire. He rebuilt the city of Caesarea (q.v.) on the coast, and also the city of Samaria (q.v.), which he called Sebaste, in honour of Augustus. He restored the ruined temple ôËZaËof Jerusalem, a work which was begun B.C. 20, but was not finished till after Herod's death, probably not till about A.D. 50 (John 2:20). After a troubled reign of thirty-seven years, he died at Jericho amid great agonies both of body and mind, B.C. 4, i.e., according to the common chronology, in the year in which Jesus was born. $ñôË~3 4€ã€"š‚€‚‚‚‚€‚€ ‚ÿAfter his death his kingdom was divided among three of his sons. Of these, Philip had the land east of Jordan, between Caesarea Philippi and Bethabara, Antipas had Galilee and Peraea, while Archelaus had Judea and Samaria. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------Copyright StatementThese dictionary topics are from M.G. Easton M.A., D.D., Illustrated Bible Dictionary, Third Edition, published by Thomas Nelson, 1897. Public Domain, copy freely. §xZ%/ .€ð€"š‚€‚€ €‚‚ÿBibliography InformationEaston, Matthew George. "Entry for 'Herod the Great'". "Easton's Bible Dictionary". 1897.I~n1âw… q ÿÿÿÿn Smith's Bible DictionaryH%¶, (€8€6˜ˆ˜š‚€€‚ÿSmith's Bible Dictionary'énÝ > J€Ó€"š‚€€€‚‚€€€€‚ÿHer’od (hero-like ). This family though of Idumean origin and thus alien by race, was Jewish in faith. I. HEROD THE GREAT was the second son of Antipater, an Idumean, who was appointed procurator of Judea by Julius Caesar, B.C. 47. Immediately after his father’s elevation when only fifteen years old, he received the government of Galilee and shortly afterward that of Coele-Syria. Though Josephus says he was 15 years old at this time, it is generally conceded that there must be some mistake, as he lived to be 69 or 70 years old, and died B.C. 4; hence he must have been 25 years old at this time.--ED.) In B.C. 41 he was appointed by Antony tetrarch of Judea. Forced to abandon Judea the following year, he fled to Rome, and received the appointment of king of Judea. In the course of a few years, by the help of the Romans he took Jerusalem (B.C. 37), and completely established his authority throughout his dominions. The terrible acts of bloodshed which Herod perpetrated in his own family were accompanied by others among his subjects equally terrible, from the number who fell victims to them. According to the well-known story) he ordered the nobles whom he had called to him in his last moment to be executed immediately after his decease, that so at least his death might be attended by universal mourning. It was at the time of his fatal illness that he must have caused the slaughter of the infants at Bethlehem. (Matthew 2:16-18) He adorned Jerusalem with many splendid monuments of his taste and magnificence. The temple, which he built with scrupulous care, was the greatest of these works. The restoration was begun B.C. 20, and the temple itself was completed in a year and a half. But fresh additions were constantly made in succeeding years, so that it was said that the temple was "built in forty and six years," (John 2:20) the work continued long after Herod’s death. (Herod died of a terrible disease at Jericho, in April, B.C. 4, at the age of 69, after a long reign of 37 years.--ED.)*¶ ' €€"š‚€‚ÿHÝ O 1Öi § ÿÿÿÿO Ý Hitchcock's Bible NamesG – , (€6€6˜ˆ˜š‚€€‚ÿHitchcock's Bible NamesGO Ý , (€6€"š‚€‚€‚‚ÿHerod "Son of a hero"Z)– 71KWq Q‚ ÿÿÿÿ7ÉBInternational Standard Bible EncyclopediaY-Ý , (€Z€6˜ˆ˜š‚€€‚ÿInternational Standard Bible Encyclopedia@7Ü@* "€-€"š‚€‚‚‚ÿ2. Herod the Great: With a different environment and with a different character, Herod the Great might have been worthy of the surname which he now bears only as a tribute of inane flattery. What we know of him, we owe, in the main, to the exhaustive treatment of the subject by Josephus in his Antiquities and Jewish War, Ü@Ý and from Strabo and Dio Cassius among the classics. We may subsume our little sketch of Herod's life under the heads of (1) political activity, (2) evidences of talent, and (3) character and domestic life. â·¾G+ $€o €"š‚€‚‚‚‚ÿ(1) Political Activity. Antipater had great ambitions for his son. Herod was only a young man when he began his career as governor of Galilee. Josephus' statement, however, that he was only "fifteen years old" (Ant., XIV, ix, 2) is evidently the mistake of some transcriber, because we are told (XVII, viii, 1) that "he continued his life till a very old age." That was 42 years later, so that Herod at this time must have been at least 25 years old. His activity and success in ridding his dominion of dangerous bands of freebooters, and his still greater success in raising the always welcome tribute-money for the Roman government, gained for him additional power at court. His advance became rapid. Antony appointed him "tetrarch" of Judea in 41 BC, and although he was forced by circumstances temporarily to leave his domain in the hands of the Parthians and of Antigonus, this, in the end, proved a blessing in disguise. In this final spasm of the dying Asmonean house, Antigonus took Jerusalem by storm, and Phasael, Herod's oldest brother, fell into his hands. The latter was governor of the city, and foreseeing his fate, he committed suicide by dashing out his brains against the walls of his prison. Antigonus incapacitated his brother Hyrcanus, who was captured at the same time, from ever holding the holy office again by cropping off his ears (Ant., XIV, xiii, 10). Meanwhile, Herod was at Rome, and through the favor of Antony and Augustus he obtained the crown of Judea in 37 BC. The fond ambition of his heart was now attained, although he had literally to carve out his own empire with the sword. He made quick work of the task, cut his way back into Judea and took Jerusalem by storm in 37 BC. “dÜ@]ˆ/ ,€É €"š‚€‚‚ÿThe first act of his reign was the extermination of the Asmonean house, to which Herod himself was related through his marriage with Mariamne, the grandchild of Hyrcanus. Antigonus was slain and with him 45 of his chief adherents. Hyrcanus was recalled from Babylon, to which he had been banished by Antigonus, but the high-priesthood was bestowed on Aristobulus, Herod's brother-in-law, who, however, soon fell a victim to the suspicion and fear of the king (Ant., XV, iii, 3). These outrages against the purest blood in Judea turned the love of Mariamne, once cherished for Herod, into a bitter hatred. The Jews, loyal to the dynasty of the Maccabees, accused Herod before the Roman court, but he was summarily acquitted by Antony. Hyrcanus, mutilated and helpless as he was, soon followed Aristobulus in the way of death, 31 BC (Ant., XV, vi, 1). When Antony, who had ever befriended Herod, was conquered by Augustus at Actium (31 BC), Herod quickly turned to the powers that were, and, by subtle flattery and timely support, won the imperial favor. The boundaries of his kingdom were now extended by Rome. And Herod proved equal to the greater task. By a decisive victory over the Arabians, he showed, as he had done in his earlier Galilean government, what manner of man he was, when aroused to action. The Arabians were wholly crushed, and submitted themselves unconditionally under the power of Herod (Ant., XV, v, 5). Afraid to leave a remnant of the Asmonean power alive, he sacrificed Mariamne his wife, the only human being he ever seems to have loved (28 BC), his mother-in-law Alexandra (Ant., XV, vii, 8), and ultimately, shortly before his death, even his own sons by Mariamne, Alexander and Aristobulus 7 BC (Ant., XVI, xi, 7). In his emulation of the habits and views of life of the Romans, he continually offended and defied his Jewish subjects, by the introduction of Roman sports and heathen temples in his dominion. His influence on the younger Jews in this regard was baneful, and slowly a distinct partly arose, partly political, partly rel¾G]ˆÝ igious, which called itself the Herodian party, Jews in outward religious forms but Gentiles in their dress and in their whole view of life. They were a bitter offense to the rest of the nation, but were associated with the Pharisees and Sadducees in their opposition to Christ (Matthew 22:16; Mark 3:6; 12:13). In vain Herod tried to win over the Jews, by royal charity in time of famine, and by yielding, wherever possible, to their bitter prejudices. They saw in him only a usurper of the throne of David, maintained by the strong arm of the hated Roman oppressor. Innumerable plots were made against his life, but, with almost superhuman cunning, Herod defeated them all (Ant., XV, viii). He robbed his own people that he might give munificent gifts to the Romans; he did not even spare the grave of King David, which was held in almost idolatrous reverence by the people, but robbed it of its treasures (Ant., XVI, vii, 1). The last days of Herod were embittered by endless court intrigues and conspiracies, by an almost insane suspicion on the part of the aged king, and by increasing indications of the restlessness of the nation. Like Augustus himself, Herod was the victim of an incurable and loathsome disease. His temper became more irritable, as the malady made progress, and he made both himself and his court unutterably miserable. The picture drawn by Josephus (Ant., XVII) is lifelike and tragic in its vividness. In his last will and testament, he remained true to his life-long fawning upon the Roman power (Ant., XVII, vi, 1). So great became his suffering toward the last that he made a fruitless attempt at suicide. But, true to his character, one of the last acts of his life was an order to execute his son Antipater, who had instigated the murder of his halfbrothers, Alexander and Aristobulus, and another order to slay, after his death, a number of nobles, who were guilty of a small outbreak at Jerusalem and who were confined in the hippodrome (Ant., XVI, vi, 5). He died in the 37th year of his reign, 34 years after he had captured Jerusalem and slain Antigonus. Josephus writes this epitaph: ó¸¾G\È; D€q€"š‚€‚€ ‚€‚‚‚‚ÿ"A man he was of great barbarity toward all men equally, and a slave to his passions, but above the consideration of what was right. Yet was he favored by fortune as much as any man ever was, for from a private man he became a king, and though he were encompassed by ten thousand dangers, he got clear of them all and continued his life to a very old age" (Ant., XVII, viii, 1). (2) Evidences of Talent. The life of Herod the Great was not a fortuitous chain of favorable accidents. He was unquestionably a man of talent. In a family like that of Antipus and Antipater, talent must necessarily be hereditary, and Herod inherited it more largely than any of his brothers. His whole life exhibits in no small degree statecraft, power of organization, shrewdness. He knew men and he knew how to use them. He won the warmest friendship of Roman emperors, and had a faculty of convincing the Romans of the righteousness of his cause, in every contingency. In his own dominions he was like Ishmael, his hand against all, and the hands of all against him, and yet he maintained himself in the government for a whole generation. His Galilean governorship showed what manner of man he was, a man with iron determination and great generalship. His Judean conquest proved the same thing, as did his Arabian war. Herod was a born leader of men. Under a different environment he might have developed into a truly great man, and had his character been coordinate with his gifts, he might have done great things for the Jewish people. But by far the greatest talent of Herod was his singular architectural taste and ability. Here he reminds one of the old Egyptian Pharaohs. Against the laws of Judaism, which he pretended to obey, he built at Jerusalem a magnificent theater and an amphitheater, of which the ruins remain. The one was within the city, the other outside the walls. Thus he introduced ]ˆ\ÈÝ into the ascetic sphere of the Jewish life the frivolous spirit of the Greeks and the Romans. To offset this cruel infraction of all the maxims of orthodox Judaism, he tried to placate the nation by rebuilding the temple of Zerubbabel and making it more magnificent than even Solomon's temple had been. This work was accomplished somewhere between 19 BC and 11 or 9 BC, although the entire work was not finished till the procuratorship of Albinus, 62-64 AD (Ant., XV, xi, 5, 6; XX, ix, 7; John 2:20). It was so transcendently beautiful that it ranked among the world's wonders, and Josephus does not tire of describing its glories (BJ, V, v). Even Titus sought to spare the building in the final attack on the city (BJ, VI, iv, 3). Besides this, Herod rebuilt and beautified Struto's Tower, which he called after the emperor, Caesarea. He spent 12 years in this gigantic work, building a theater and amphitheater, and above all in achieving the apparently impossible by creating a harbor where there was none before. This was accomplished by constructing a gigantic mole far out into the sea, and so enduring was the work that the remains of it are seen today. The Romans were so appreciative of the work done by Herod that they made Caesarea the capital of the new regime, after the passing away of the Herodian power. Besides this, Herod rebuilt Samaria, to the utter disgust of the Jews, calling it Sebaste. In Jerusalem itself he built the three great towers, Antonia, Phasaelus and Mariamne, which survived even the catastrophe of the year 70 AD. All over Herod's dominion were found the evidences of this constructive passion. Antipatris was built by him, on the site of the ancient Kapharsaba, as well as the stronghold Phasaelus near Jericho, where he was destined to see so much suffering and ultimately to die. He even reached beyond his own domain to satisfy this building mania at Ascalon, Damascus, Tyre and Sidon, Tripoli, Ptolemais, nay even at Athens and Lacedaemon. But the universal character of these operations itself occasioned the bitterest hatred against him on the part of the narrowminded Jews. ³†]ˆÌ- (€ €"š‚€‚‚‚‚ÿ(3) Characteristics and Domestic Life. The personality of Herod was impressive, and he was possessed of great physical strength. His intellectual powers were far beyond the ordinary; his will was indomitable; he was possessed of great tact, when he saw fit to employ it; in the great crises of his life he was never at a loss what to do; and no one has ever accused Herod the Great of cowardice. There were in him two distinct individualities, as was the case with Nero. Two powers struggled in him for the mastery, and the lower one at last gained complete control. During the first part of his reign there were evidences of large-heartedness, of great possibilities in the man. But the bitter experiences of his life, the endless whisperings and warnings of his court, the irreconcilable spirit of the Jews, as well as the consciousness of his own wrongdoing, changed him into a Jewish Nero: Ê—\Èå3 4€/ €"š‚€‚€ ‚€‚‚ÿa tyrant, who bathed his own house and his own people in blood. The demons of Herod's life were jealousy of power, and suspicion, its necessary companion. He was the incarnation of brute lust, which in turn became the burden of the lives of his children. History tells of few more immoral families than the house of Herod, which by intermarriage of its members so entangled the genealogical tree as to make it a veritable puzzle. As these marriages were nearly all within the line of forbidden consanguinity, under the Jewish law, they still further embittered the people of Israel against the Herodian family. When Herod came to the throne of Judea, Phasael was dead. Joseph his younger brother had fallen in battle (Ant., XIV, xv, 10), and only Pheroras and Salome survived. The first, as we have seen, nominally shared the government with Herod, but was of little consequence and only proved a thorn in the king's flesh by his endless interferenceÌåÝ  and plotting. To him were allotted the revenues of the East Jordanic territory. Salome, his sister, was ever neck-deep in the intrigues of the Herodian family, but had the cunning of a fox and succeeded in making Herod believe in her unchangeable loyalty, although the king had killed her own son-in-law and her nephew, Aristobulus, his own son. The will of Herod, made shortly before his death, is a convincing proof of his regard for his sister (Ant., XVII, viii, 1). øÍÌÝ+ $€› €"š‚€‚‚ÿHis domestic relations were very unhappy. Of his marriage with Doris and of her son, Antipater, he reaped only misery, the son, as stated above, ultimately falling a victim to his father's wrath, when the crown, for which he plotted, was practically within his grasp. Herod appears to have been deeply in love with Mariamne, the grandchild of Hyrcanus, in so far as he was capable of such a feeling, but his attitude toward the entire Asmonean family and his fixed determination to make an end of it changed whatever love Mariamne had for him into hatred. Ultimately she, as well as her two sons, fell victims to Herod's insane jealousy of power. Like Nero, however, in a similar situation, Herod felt the keenest remorse after her death. As his sons grew up, the family tragedy thickened, and the court of Herod became a veritable hotbed of mutual recriminations, intrigues and catastrophes. The trials and executions of his own conspiring sons were conducted with the acquiescence of the Roman power, for Herod was shrewd enough not to make a move without it. Yet so thoroughly was the condition of the Jewish court understood at Rome, that Augustus, after the death of Mariamne's sons (7 BC), is said to have exclaimed: Hå% + $€;€"š‚€‚‚‚‚ÿ"I would rather be Herod's hog hus than his son huios." At the time of his death, the remaining sons were these: Herod, son of Mariamne, Simon's daughter; Archelaus and Antipas, sons of Malthace, and Herod Philip, son of Cleopatra of Jerusalem. Alexander and Aristobulus were killed, through the persistent intrigues of Antipater, the oldest son and heir presumptive to the crown, and he himself fell into the grave he had dug for his brothers. By the final testament of Herod, as ratified by Rome, the kingdom was divided as follows: á´Ý@- (€i €"š‚€‚‚ÿArchelaus received one-half of the kingdom, with the title of king, really "ethnarch," governing Judea, Samaria and Idumaea; Antipas was appointed "tetrarch" of Galilee and Peraea; Philip, "tetrarch" of Trachonitis, Gaulonitis and Paneas. To Salome, his intriguing sister, he bequeathed Jamnia, Ashdod and Phasaelus, together with 500,000 drachmas of coined silver. All his kindred were liberally provided for in his will, "so as to leave them all in a wealthy condition" (Ant., XVII, viii, 1). In his death he had been better to his family than in his life. He died unmourned and unbeloved by his own people, to pass into history as a name soiled by violence and blood. As the waters of Callirhoe were unable to cleanse his corrupting body, those of time were unable to wash away the stains of a tyrant's name. The only time he is mentioned in the New Testament is in Matthew 2 and Lu 1. In Matthew he is associated with the wise men of the East, who came to investigate the birth of the "king of the Jews." Learning their secret, Herod found out from the "priests and scribes of the people" where the Christ was to be born and ordered the "massacre of the innocents," with which his name is perhaps more generally associated than with any other act of his life. As Herod died in 4 BC and some time elapsed between the massacre and his death (Matthew 2:19), we have here a clue to the approximate fixing of the true date of Christ's birth. Another, in this same connection, is an eclipse of the moon, the only one mentioned by Josephus (Ant., XVII, vi, 4; text and note), which was seen shortly before Herod's death. This eclipse occurred on March 13, in the year of the Julian Period, 4710, therefore 4% @Ý  BC.Þ% +B; D€½€"š‚€‚‚‚‚‚‚‚‚€‚€ ‚€‚ÿLITERATURE. Josephus, Josephus, Antiquities and BJ; Strabo; Dio Cassius. Among all modern works on the subject, Schurer, The Jewish People in the Time of Jesus Christ (5 vols) is perhaps still the best. Henry E. Dosker --------------------------------------------------------------------------------Copyright StatementThese files are public domain and are a derivative of an electronic edition that is available from Crosswire Software. Bibliography Informationžs@ÉB+ &€æ€"š‚€ €‚‚ÿOrr, James, M.A., D.D. General Editor. "Entry for 'HEROD'". "International Standard Bible Encyclopedia". 1915.F+BC1ú§ | ÿÿÿÿCÝ‚Columbia EncyclopediaEÉBTC, (€2€6˜ˆ˜š‚€€‚ÿColumbia EncyclopediaGC›E/ ,€1€"š‚€‚€‚‚‚‚ÿHerod Herod, dynasty reigning in Palestine at the time of Christ. As a dynasty the Herods depended largely on the power of Rome. They are usually blamed for the state of virtual anarchy in Palestine at the beginning of the Christian era.Antipater,. fl. c. 65 B.C., was founder of the family fortune. He was an Idumaean and gave refuge to Hyrcanus II (see Maccabees), thus gaining a stronghold in Palestine. His son Antipater (d. 43 B.C.) was favored by Julius Caesar, who made him (c. 55 B.C.) virtual ruler of all of Palestine.+TCÆG) €€"š‚€‚‚ÿThe son of the second Antipater was Herod the Great. (d. 4 B.C.), who gave the family its name. He was friendly with Marc Antony, who secured him (37–4 B.C.) the title of king of Judaea; after the battle of Actium he made peace with Octavian (later Augustus), who thereafter showed him great favor. He made great efforts to mollify the Jews by publicly observing the Law, by building a temple, and by reestablishing the Sanhedrin. He promoted Hellenization and adorned most of his cities, especially Jerusalem.{R›EAJ) €¥€"š‚€‚‚ÿHerod married ten times, and the various families in the palace intrigued against each other continually. In his last years Herod was subject to some sort of insanity, and he became bloodthirsty. He executed (6 B.C.) Aristobulus and Alexander, his sons by Mariamne, granddaughter of Hyrcanus II. He executed (4 B.C.) Antipater, son of his first wife, when he found out that Antipater had instigated the intrigues that led to the execution of Aristobulus and Alexander. This was the Herod who was ruling at the time of Jesus' birth and who ordered the massacre of the Innocents (see Mat. 2).ðÆG\N+ $€á€"š‚€‚‚‚‚ÿHerod the Great divided his kingdom among his sons Archelaus, Herod Antipas, and Philip. Archelaus. (d. after A.D. 6) ruled Palestine south of the Vale of Jezreel from 4 B.C. to A.D. 6; he was removed by Augustus after complaints by the Jews. Herod Antipas. (d. after A.D. 39), tetrarch of Galilee and Peraea, was the Herod who executed John the Baptist and who was ruling at the time of Jesus' death.Herod Antipas repudiated his wife, daughter of Aretas, to marry his niece Herodias, wife of his half brother Herod Philip, whom she divorced to marry Herod Antipas. This affair gained Herod Antipas many enemies, and the vaulting ambitions of Herodias eventually ruined him. She drove him to seek a royal title, and he was banished by Caligula in A.D. 39. Philip. (d. A.D. 34) was tetrarch of the region east of Galilee; his kingdom was non-Jewish, and he pursued a successful Romanizing and Hellenizing policy. He was probably the best of his family; his wife was Salome 1. He built Caesarea Philippi.ÆAJ.) €;€"š‚€‚‚ÿThe eldest son of the executed Aristobulus, Herod Agrippa I. (d. A.D. 44), was a man of some ability. Out of friendship Caligula made him king (A.D. 39) of Philip's tetrarchy; later he was made (A.D. 41) ruler of S Syria and of Palestine east and west of the Jordan. Herod Agrippa I was strongly pro-Jewish, and he built extensively at Berytus (modern Beirut). His son, Herod A\N.ÉBgrippa II. (d. c. 100), received only the northern part of his father's kingdom, and that not until c. 52. He was a poor ruler and alienated his subjects. His sister was Berenice (d. c. A.D. 28). After the fall of Jerusalem he went to Rome. He was the last important member of his family.¯|\NÝ‚3 4€ù€"š‚€‚€ ‚‚‚€‚‚ÿBibliographyThe prime source of information about the dynasty is the historical writing of Josephus. See also modern studies by A. H. Jones (1938, repr. 1967), S. Sandmel (1967), M. Grant (1971), and H. W. Hoehner (1972).The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia Copyright © 1994, 2000, Columbia University Press. Licensed from Columbia University Press. All rights reserved.6.ƒ1iQ‚ ? ÿÿÿÿƒF…CoinsP$Ý‚cƒ, (€H€6˜ˆ˜š‚€€‚ÿCoins Mentioning Herod the GreatãƒF…F Z€?€"š‚€†"€‚€ †"€‚€‚‚ÿ Herod the Great, 37 BCE, AE 8 prutah, 6.8 g, 7/8", O: Tripod (example right), ceremonial bowl (lebes) above, date LT (Year 3) and monogram TP in field 1 and "of King Herod" around in Greek R: Military helmet facing, wreath featuring acanthus leaf around, cheek pieces and straps, (helmet examples below) star above flanked by two palm branches. Greek Helmets similar to one depicted on Herod I coin.9cƒ…1| ÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿ…6€Timeline8 F…·…, (€€6˜ˆ˜š‚€€‚ÿTimelinel4…#†8#@€h™&€€2˜š‚€€‚ÿÿÿThe Inter-Testamental Period 400 - 4 BC (Part 3)yy/v·… €J#b†_ì™H†€2˜š‚€ €‚‚€ ‚€‚€€€‚€€‚€ €‚€ €‚€ ‚€‚€ €‚€ ‚€‚€ €‚€ ‚€‚€ €‚€ ‚€‚€ €‚€ ‚€‚€ €‚€ ‚€‚€ €‚€ ‚€‚€ €‚€ ‚€‚€ €‚€ ‚€‚€ €‚€ ‚€‚€ €‚€ ‚€‚€ €‚€ ‚€‚€ €€ €‚€ ‚€‚€ €‚€ ‚€‚€ €‚€ ‚€€€‚€ €‚€ €‚€ ‚€‚€ €‚€ ‚€‚€ €‚€ ‚€‚€ €‚€ ‚€‚€ €‚€ ‚€‚€ €‚€ ‚€‚€ €‚€ ‚€‚€ €‚€ ‚€‚€ €‚€ ‚€‚€ €‚€ ‚€‚€ €‚€ ‚€‚€ €‚€ ‚€‚€ €‚€ ‚€€‚€€‚€€‚ÿÿÿTimeline With Notes on Judaism 64-4 BC by Rusty RussellHISTORICAL TIME CHART (Historical with an emphasis on Judaism) 3 Part Series.Note: The dating is approximate and follows certain events in Palestine, Rome, Greece, Persia, Egypt, and China. The Notes in blue are a commentary on the effect of hellenization on the Jewish people. NOTES: Rome on the Move - End of the Hasmoneans (67 - 45 BC)Rome - Called to TakeRome who boasted that destiny had called it to rule the world by force was casting its shadow EastwardAnother Civil WarThe Right to Rule- When Salome Alexandra died, her older son, Hyrcan, who was high priest, succeeded her on the throne as Hyrcan II.- Already his brother, Aristobulus, was leading an army against Jerusalem. - Hyrcan could not gather an army and the one that was already there deserted him and went over to his attractive brother Aristobulus.- Hyrcan said he had never really wanted the throne and swore allegiance to (Aristobulus) Aristobulus II.The Idumean - At this time there was a man in Jerusalem named Antipater. (not of Jewish birth - Jewish Tradition).- Both his parents were Idumeans and were converted to Judaism. Antipater was raised a Jew by religion- Antipater sought power and persuaded Hyrcan to allow him and an army of Nabataen Arabs to drive Aristobulus out of Jerusalem and restore Hyrcan to power.- Aristobulus was not prepared for such an army and he shut himself in Jerusalem ( a long siege).Rome's FaithlessnessPower and Glory- Rome was expanding. Julius Caesar was fighting his famous wars in Gaul and making a name for himself- His rival (former political ally) Pompey was in the East tryi#†.F…ng to equal Caesar's record.- Both wanted supreme authority in Rome and flattered the people of Rome with new victories.- Pompey overcame Syria easily and sought more.- He heard about the quarrel of the two brothers in Jerusalem and sought to interfere. He was bothered by the Nabatean Arabs (they were strong) and so he sent his lieutenant Scaurus to scare the Nabateans off. - They withdrew the siege. The Jews were happy to have had earlier friendships with Rome. They even asked for Rome's decision as to who should rule.Antipater's Chance- Aristobulus, who was in control of the Temple, sent Pompey a vine of pure gold as a gift.- Pompey sent such a valuable gift back to Rome to decorate the Temple of Jupiter.- Antipater, on behalf of Hyrcan, understanding the Roman's political situation, sought to convince Pompey that if he favored Hyrcan, then he would eventually have control of Judea (another to boast of).- Unexpectedly a group of Pharisees asked Pompey to rid them of both brothers and restore Judea to its original constitution where the high priest ruled with the advise of an elected council.The Iron Fist of Rome- Pompey marched his army into Judea.- Aristobulus was afraid so he fortified himself in Jerusalem - Pompey then besieged Jerusalem and Aristobulus surrendered. But the Sadducees refused to open the gates. The Romans came in and the Sadducees withdrew into the Temple.- The Romans attacked the Temple and broke through the outer wall.- The priests performed the sacrifices devotedly without giving any attention to what was happening- As one priest fell by the sword another would take his place. (About 12,000 Jews perished that day)- When it was over, Pompey entered the Temple, and even the Holy of Holies (truly no image inside?)Pompey decides in Favor of Rome- This was the end of Jewish independence. Rome would never let go of its prey- When Pompey was called in to decide for the Jews who should rule he chose Rome- Aristobulus was deprived of any power in the government- The Pharisaic Party was totally disregarded (The Jewish people were not to be considered)- Hyrcan was chosen and Antipater (now a friend of Rome) was to stand at his side- Hyrcan now would be called Ethnarch instead of king and Judea was now a Roman province of Syria- Pompey even brought Aristobulus and his two sons to the Roman forum in his march in triumphal procession to impress the people and the Roman Senate.BCE64Pompey captures Jerusalem; leaves the Maccabean high priest Hyrcanus in power with Antipater as civil adviser 61Rome: Julius Caesar wins his first major victories, in Spain. 60The first Triumvirate (joint rule) at Rome (Caesar, Crassus, and Pompey )58Caesar is appointed governor of Gaul, part of present day France. (The Gauls are a branch of the Celts.) Pompey marries Julia, daughter of Caesar55Caesar conquers northern Gaul and attempts unsuccessfully to invade Britain.54Second invasion of Britain by Caesar. Cassivellaunus, a powerful British leader, agrees to pay tribute to Rome. 53Crassus is killed at battle of Carrhae against the Parthians.52Pompey appointed sole consul in Rome. Gauls rebel under their leader Vercingetorix, but are crushed by the Romans. 51Caesar completes conquest of Gaul. Egypt: Cleopatra VII and her brother, Ptolemy XIII, become joint rulers of Egypt. 50Rome: Rivalry between Caesar and Pompey comes to a head. Buddhism spreads along the Silk Road to China from India. 49Senate orders Caesar to give up control of Gaul. Caesar crosses the Rubicon into Italy to start civil war. Pompey flees to Greece. 48Caesar defeats Pompey at Pharsalus in Greece. Pompey flees to Egypt.47Pompey is assassinated, possibly by order of Cleopatra. Caesar conquers Cleopatra’s enemies. Caesar makes Cleopatra queen of EgyptJudea: Antipater becomes procurator of Judea; his son Herod becomes governor of Galilee. 45Rome: Caesar defeats Pompey's son, Sextus, in Africa and crushes a mutiny in the #†.F…Tenth Legion. He becomes virtual dictator of Rome. Caesar introduces Julian calendar and adopts his nephew, Octavian, as his heir. 44Caesar becomes dictator of Rome for life Caesar is assassinated by a group of Romans led by Brutus and Cassius. NOTES: Rome and the IdumeansAntipater and Rome- Antipater and Rome from this time on worked together. Both were greedy for power.- Rome supported Antipater and he in turn fulfilled all of Rome's demands.- Hyrcan II, ruler and high priest (63-40 BC) was just a puppet in their hands.- Actually Antipater ruled, and two of his sons, Phasael and Herod, were local governors.- Phasael was governor over Jerusalem and Herod was governor over Galilee.Rebels or Patriots- The Pharisees, Sadducees, and the people wanted to drive out the Romans.- Rome broke up the country's unity by dividing it into 5 administrative districts. - Many Jewish patriots hid in the mountains of Judea and Galilee to make surprise attacks on the Romans.- The Romans looked upon them as murderers and hunted them mercilessly as beasts of prey.- Rome and the Idumeans were obviously not popular with the Jewish people.The Humiliation of the Sanhedrin- One patriot named Hezekiah and some men were captured by Herod in Galilee. They were executed.- Some relatives of these men appealed to the Sanhedrin. They could do nothing. - In fact when Herod was charged to answer to this, this is what happened.- The normal procedure was for the accused to appear before the Sanhedrin in black clothes as a sign of penitence. Herod marched into the hall leading a body of soldiers in uniform with swords and spears.- Herod was so sure of Rome's support that he had no respect for the Sanhedrin's judicial opinions.- The 70 elders were humiliated and afraid. Only one man, Shemaiah spoke up. "If you will not judge this man now...the time will come when he will judge you and show you no mercy."- The Sanhedrin was awakened and the trial began. - Hyrcan, as high priest was president of the Sanhedrin. He knew that if he condemned Antipater's son then he would be opposing Rome and Rome would hold him personally responsible. He postponed the meeting till the next day.- Herod, feeling insulted and in a rage, was ready to order a massacre on the Sanhedrin as well as all of the inhabitants of Jerusalem who would not show respect for Rome. His father and brother stopped him.How Antipater Backed the Wrong Politician- Julius Caesar being the rival of Pompey in Rome for power even tried to stir up a rebellion in Judea by releasing Aristobulus to return. When Antipater heard he sent men to poison Aristobulus in Greece before he reached Judea. He even had Aristobulus' son executed.- Antipater and his sons were backing Pompey to the very end up till Pompey was defeated by Julius Caesar. Hyrcan and Antipater quickly changed sides. - Caesar accepted them and allowed them to remain in power.Again the Wrong Politician- There was another civil war in Rome just after this. Brutus and Cassius were now in power in the eastern part of the Roman Empire.- Cassius, in dire need of money, heavily taxed the Jews in Judea.- In order to be collected, the huge sum had to be collected ruthlessly. - Antipater and his sons were given the responsibility and therefore they became extremely unpopular.- Herod was even the first to turn in the part he had collected.- But Brutus and Cassius lost in the end. Would Antony and Octavian ever forgive Herod?- The Jews pleaded to Rome for the removal of the Idumeans but Rome was in favor of Herod. He was brave and daring, qualities the Romans could appreciate.- Herod and Phasael came out victors again, and the members of the Jewish delegation were executed on Antony's order.43Second Triumvirate is formed by Octavian, Mark Antony, and Marcus Lepidus. Birth of Ovid, the poet who wrote Metamorphoses (dies 17 AD). Cicero, the orator, is put to death for denouncing Mark Antony. 42Triumvirate defeats Brutus and Cassius at the battle of Philippi. 40Herod the Great #†.F…appointed king of Judea till 4 BC37Herod the Great captures Jerusalem Rome: Triumvirate is renewed for five years. Mark Antony, already married to Octavia (the sister of Octavian), also marries Queen Cleopatra of Egypt. 36Octavian's fleet defeats that of Pompey's son, Sextus. 32Octavian declares war on Antony and Cleopatra. 31Battle of Actium, at which Octavian defeats Antony and Cleopatra.     Octavian becomes master of the Roman world, the final triumph of Empire30Antony and Cleopatra commit suicide. Octavian declares Egypt a Roman province.Shammai HillelPhilo of Alexandria 27Rome: Octavian given supreme power by the Roman Senate, thus effectively ending the Roman Republic. He takes the title Augustus and becomes the first emperor of Rome (to 14 AD). 20Herod the Great begins to rebuild the Jerusalem Temple15Roman empire extended to the upper Danube. 12Revolt in Pannonia (part of present-day Slovenia) quelled by Augustus' stepson, Nero. 4Death of Herod the Great his kingdom is split between his three sons.Birth of JesusThe Last of the HasmoneansJewish Feelings- The feelings of the Jews at this time were expressed in a collection of poems written about this time called "Psalms of Solomon." Their author was undoubtedly a Pharisee whose chief interest lay not in war and power, but in piety and right conduct. He justified the misfortunes which befell the Hasmoneans, for they had sinned and deserved punishment. Nevertheless, he could not help speaking with great bitterness of Pompey and the Romans. They had been invited as friends; the gates of the city were opened to them. But they desecrated the Temple and enslaved the people. No wonder that when the author heard of Pompey's end, he exclaimed: "Praised be the Lord who judges the whole earth with His justice." Moreover, the author feared lest the pagan neighbors in league with the Romans make life unbearable for the Jews. He prayed: "Punish us in accordance with Thy will, but deliver us not into the hands of the Gentiles." How Antigonus Made Himself King- The Idumean brothers needed the strength of Rome but there were problems with the eastern part of the empire. Antony ruled over the East while Octavius took the West for himself.- At that time Cleopatra, famed for her beauty and her seductive trickery, was trying to make herself mistress of Rome by becoming the mistress of Antony.- For her Antony neglected the government and let his brilliant future go to waste.- Soon the eastern Roman army became disorganized and the officials more than ever corrupt.- Antigonus, Aristobulus II's youngest son, watched all this from the other side of the Euphrates, where he had found refuge with the Parthians.- With their aid he invaded Judea' meeting only halfhearted Roman opposition, and arrived before the gates of Jerusalem.- Antigonus lured Hyrcan and Phasael into the Parthian camp. How bitterly he hated them! He held them responsible for years of personal suffering, for the murder of his father and brother, for the loss of Jewish independence.- Phasael, knowing that he had nothing to hope for, committed suicide.- As to Hyrcan, Antigonus did not have his uncle killed. He did want to disqualify him permanently for the high priesthood so he cut off the lobe of one of Hyrcan's ears, for according to Jewish law no man who was physically mutilated could serve as high priest.- Antigonus entered Jerusalem and assumed the royal title and the high priesthood under the name of Mattathias (40 BC).Antigonus as King- He was not like his father, Aristobulus, nor like his grandmother Salome, he possessed neither attractiveness nor charm, neither soldierliness nor statesmanship.- He was the wrong man at a time when the right one might have changed the future of the entire East.Herod, King by the Grace of Rome- When Herod new what was happening with Antigonus entering Jerusalem he gathered his family, including Alexandra the daughter of Hyrcan, her daughter, Miriam or Mariamne, to whom he#†ÿÿÿÿF… was betrothed, and Miriam's younger brother Aristobulus, and had fled in the direction of the Nabatean Arabs to the south.- He left his family in a fortress in southern Palestine and continued on his way to Egypt where he hoped to tell his sad story to Antony. But he found that Antony had temporarily escaped Cleopatra's clutches and was gone making peace with Octavius.- Although Cleopatra tried her seduction on Herod, he paid no attention to her and went on to Rome despite the danger of crossing the Mediterranean at that season.- As usual, luck was with him. He arrived safely in Rome and was greeted warmly by Antony and Octavius.- What could Herod have wanted with the rulers of the Roman empire? He certainly wanted revenge on Antigonus, and no doubt asked that Antony order the Roman armies in Syria to drive Antigonus out of Judea.- Whatever the discussion was they and the Senate proclaimed Herod king of Judea.- The family of Antipater, whose shrewdness had dispossessed the Hasmoneans, thus attained more than they had hoped for.The Conquest of a Kingdom- Herod, for the time being, was a king without a country.- His first task was to win Judea by driving out Antigonus. But this was not an easy task in view of the bribes which the Roman generals in Syria were receiving from Antigonus, and the opposition of the Jews all over the country. - Antigonus received letters and threats from Antony. Jerusalem was besieged for three months, and Antigonus could hold it no longer.- The Romans army slaughtered so many within the city that Herod had to take drastic measures and promise the Romans large rewards to stop it or, as he complained to the Roman officers, he might be left a king of a country without a population.- Antigonus was captured but he pleaded for mercy. It was not customary for the Romans to execute a captured king, but at Herod's request to avenge his brother, it was done in this case.- The Hasmonean dynasty came to a horrible end and so did the independence which it had so gloriously won for Judea.Herod as KingThe Road to Misfortune- The next period of Jewish history saw the beginnings of the national calamity which overtook the Jews a century later. It is hard to refrain from wondering how different modern Jewish life would be if Herod had been a different sort of man, or if Rome and the Jews had understood each other. Until Herod's reign it was still possible to hope that the Jews and the Romans would arrive at some compromise whereby the Jews would be permitted to look upon their nation as almost independent. The Jews were a proud people. The more they felt themselves under the heel of Rome, the more they were determined to reassert their freedom. Herod was in excellent position to bring Rome and Judea to a better understanding. But he understood and sympathized with the Jews too little; he was interested in his own power too much. The result was infamy for himself and catastrophe for the people over whom he ruled.Herod the Great, Servant of RomeIt would have been interesting to see how different the modern Jew would be if Herod the Great had been a different sort of man. Herod didn't understand the Jews enough nor did he feel for them. He was in a position to help the Jews and the Romans to understand each other a little better but he was only interested in his own power and the result was catastrophe for the Jews.For 40 years, Jewish history was dominated by Herod the Great. He was born in about 73 BC, the son of the Idumean Antipater, and became a Roman citizen in 47. His father appointed him military governor of Galilee, with the task of clearing the region of terrorists. In 41, Antony made Herod and his brother tetrarchs, but Herod was not secure and in 40 fled to Rome. There Antony bestowed on him the kingship of Judea, which he secured with a Roman army in 37. Octavian (the future emperor Augustus) defeated Antony and Cleopatra at the naval battle of Actium in 3I, but confirmed Herod in power.Herod worked devotedly for Rome and kept Augustus's favor. His court was Hell#†ÿÿÿÿF…enized and cultured. He founded the Greek cities of Sebaste (Samaria) and Caesarea, with its fine port. He built fortresses and palaces, including Masada, and a magnificent new temple. He also presided at the Olympic Games.His family life, however, was unhappy. He ruled as an autocrat, supported by police, and, despite his rebuilding of the Temple, to the Jews he remained a detested foreigner. He died in 4 BC at the age of 69.Herod's DictatorshipThe Marriage to Mariamne- Herod knew he was unliked by the Jews and having displaced the Hasmoneans he felt insecure.- He therefore married Mariamne, the granddaughter of both Hyrcan and Aristobulus. (Legitimate throne) - But Herod was known to have really loved her but he did not mind hurting her when his personal welfare was at stake.How Herod Made Himself Safe- One of Herod's first acts was the execution of 40 prominent Sadducees. 2 reasons (enemies, money)- He constantly had to pay off the Romans and anyone else who had helped him. (Bribes)- He hired Jews from other lands as his army. Herod did not trust Jews from his own land.- He was jealous of other members of his family. - Aristobulus, Herod's own brother-in-law, was found drowned in a pool of one of the royal palaces.- Hyrcan, returned from Parthia at Herod's invitation, was accused of plotting treason and executed.- Herod's favorite wife, Mariamne, gave way to the intrigues of Herod's sister and was executed despite Herod's undoubted love for her.- Later he killed his own two sons by Mariamne on suspicion that they were plotting against him.- At his dying breath he ordered the execution of still another son.Depriving the Sanhedrin- Herod had not the slightest intention of letting the Jews rule themselves.- He deprived the Sanhedrin of every vestige of political power. - Neither the Pharisees nor the Sadducees any longer exercised political influence.- Only their names continued for the purpose of describing two groups which differed on religious matters.- Herod ruled, and through him Rome.The Secret Opposition- Politics became an underground affair.- Dissatisfaction expressed itself in secret criticism.- The young people became restless and joined secret organiza