Herod the Great

Hordes (Hebrew: הוֹרְדוֹס, /hoɾðos/; Greek: Template:Polytonic, /heːroːdeːs/; trad. English: Herod), also known as Herod I or Herod the Great, was a Roman client king of Judaea (ca. 74 BC – ca. 4 BC in Jerusalem). The details of his biography can best be gleaned from the works of the 1st century AD Jewish historian Josephus. To many people, Herod is best known for his alleged role in the events known as the Massacre of the Innocents, an account of which is given in Chapter 2 of the Gospel According to Matthew. Herod is particularly known for his dramatic expansion of the Second Temple in Jerusalem which is sometimes referred to as Herod's Temple.

Model of Herod's Temple (Israel Museum)

Biography

Copper coin of Herod, bearing the legend "Basileus Herodon" on the obverse and a Macedonian sun-symbol on the reverse.

Herod the Great arose from a wealthy, influential Idumaean family. The Idumaeans, successors to the Edomites of the Hebrew Bible, settled in Idumea, formerly known as Edom, in southern Judea. When the Maccabean John Hyrcanus conquered Idumea in 140–130 BC, he required all Idumaeans to obey Jewish law or to leave; most Idumaeans thus converted to Judaism.

King Herod identified himself as a Jew and was considered as such by his contemporaries. This religious self-identification notwithstanding, the Herodians were to a large extent Hellenistic in culture, which would have earned them the antipathy of observant Jews. He was the second son of Antipater the Idumaean, the Idumeans having been just converted to Judaism by John Hyrcanus, and was founder of the Herodian Dynasty. Herod's mother was Cypros, a princess from Petra in Nabatea (now part of Jordan). The family rubbed shoulders with the greats in Rome, such as Pompey and Cassius, and in 47 BC his father was appointed Procurator over Judea, who then appointed his son governor of Galilee at the age of 25.

After his father was poisoned in 43 BC, allegedly by a tax collector, Herod had the murderer executed. After returning from a campaign, he was offered the betrothal to the teenage princess Mariamne (sometimes spelled Mariamme) from the former Hasmonean dynasty who were the titular rulers of Judaea. Although he was legally permitted to have more than one wife, he banished his first wife Doris and her 3-year-old son, also named Antipater, and married Mariamne (known as Mariamne I). In 40 BC Antigonus and the Parthians invaded Judea, and Herod fled Jerusalem to Rome for the first time. There he was elected "King of the Jews" by the Roman Senate however, Herod did not fully conquer Judea until 37 BC. He ruled for 34 years.

Timeline

30s BC

The taking of Jerusalem by Herod the Great, 36 BC, by Jean Fouquet, late 15th century.

• 39 BC–37 BC War against Antigonus. After the conquest of Jerusalem and victory over Antigonus, Mark Antony executes Antigonus.

• 36 BC Herod makes his 17-year-old brother-in-law Aristobulus III of Judea high priest, fearing that the Jews would appoint Aristobulus "king of the Jews" in his place.

• 35 BC Aristobulus drowns at a party. Historians claim there is insufficient evidence against Herod for his death.

• 32 BC Start of the war against Nabatea, with victory one year later.

• 31 BC Strong earthquake in Judea. Octavian defeats Mark Antony, so Herod switches allegiance to Octavian, later Augustus.

• 30 BC Herod was then shown great favour by Octavian who at Rhodes confirms him as King of Judaea.

20s BC

• 29 BC Josephus writes that Herod had great passion and also great jealousy concerning his wife Mariamne I. She learns of Herod's plans to murder her, and stops sleeping with him. Herod puts her on trial on a trumped-up charge of adultery. His sister Salome (not Herodias's daughter Salome) was chief witness against her.

Mariamne I's mother Alexandra made an appearance and incriminated her own daughter.

Historians say her mother was next on Herod's list to be executed and did this only to save her own life. Writings state that Mariamne was calm and serene at her execution at the age of 25 years, having given birth to 5 children in 7 years.

Alexandra then made a bid for power, declaring herself Queen and stating that Herod was mentally unfit to serve any longer. Josephus wrote that this was Alexandra's strategic mistake and Herod executed her without trial.

• 28 BC Herod executed his brother-in-law Kostobar (husband of Salome, father to Berenice) for conspiracy. Large festival in Jerusalem, as Herod had built a Theatre and an Amphitheatre.

• 27 BC An assassination attempt on Herod is discovered in time. To honour Gaius Julius Caesar Octavianus (Augustus) Herod rebuilds Samaria and renames it Sebaste.

• 25 BC After a great drought there is hunger and epidemics. Herod imports grain from Egypt and starts an exemplary aid programme. He also waives a third of the taxes.

• 23 BC Herod builds a palace in Jerusalem and the fortress Herodian in Judaea. Herod marries his third wife, Mariamne II, the daughter of high priest Simon.

• 22 BC Building starts on Caesarea Maritima and its harbour. From the Romans he obtains the regions Trachonitis, Batanaea and Auranitis under his rule.

• Circa 20 BC Expansion starts on the Second Temple. (See Herod's Temple)

10s BC

• Circa 18 BC Herod travels for the second time to Rome.

• 14 BC Herod supports the Jews in Anatolia and Cyrene. Owing to the prosperity in Judaea he waives a quarter of the taxes. He argues with his sons.

• 13 BC Herod makes his first-born son Antipater (his son with Doris) first heir in his will.

• 12 BC Because Herod suspects both his sons (from his marriage to Mariamne I) Alexandros and Aristobulos of threatening his life, he takes them to Aquileia to be tried; but Augustus is able to reconcile the three. Herod supports the financially strapped Olympic Games and ensures their future. Herod amends his will so that Alexander and Aristobulos rise in the royal succession, but Antipater would be higher in the succession.

• Circa 10 BC The newly expanded temple in Jerusalem is inaugurated. War against the Nabateans.

0s BC

• 9 BC The inauguration of Caesarea Maritima is a marvellous spectacle with a festival. Owing to the course of the war against the Nabateans Herod falls into disgrace with Augustus. Herod again suspects Alexander intends to kill him.

• 8 BC Herod accuses his sons from Mariamne I of high treason. Herod is reconciled with Augustus, which also gives him the permission to proceed legally against his sons.

• 7 BC The court hearing takes place in Berytos (Beirut) before a Roman court. Mariamne I's sons are found guilty and executed. Now the succession is changed so that Antipater is the exclusive successor to the throne. In second place the succession incorporates Herod Philip, the son from Mariamne II.

• 6 BC Herod proceeds harshly against the Pharisees, who had announced that the birth of the Messiah would mean the end of his rule. (Biblical conjecture)

• 5 BC Antipater is brought before the court charged with the intended murder of Herod. The sentence must first be approved only by the Roman emperor. Herod makes his son Herod Antipas from his 4th marriage with Malthace as his successor. Herod is seriously ill.

• 4 BC Young Torah-students smash the golden eagle over the main entrance of the Temple of Jerusalem after the Pharisee teachers claim it is a Roman symbol. Herod arrests them, brings them to court, sentences and punishes them. The emperor Augustus approves the death penalty for Antipater. Herod executes his son.

As he has just executed his sole heir, Herod again changes his will: Archelaus (from the marriage with Malthace) will rule as king over Herod's entire kingdom, while Antipas (from Malthace) and Philip (from the fifth marriage with Cleopatra of Jerusalem) as Tetrarchs over Galilee and Peraea, also over Gaulanitis (Golan), Trachonitis (Hebrew: Argob), Batanaea (now Ard-el-Bathanyeh) and Panias. As Augustus does not confirm his will, no one gets the title of King; however, the three sons do get the stated territories.

Death

Coin of Herod the Great, bearing a Roman-style helmet.

4 BC The scholarly consensus, based on Josephus' Antiquities of the Jews is that Herod died at the end of March, or early April of 4 BC. Josephus tells us that Herod died 37 years after being named as King by the Romans, and 34 years after the death of Antigonus. This would imply that he died in 4 BC. This is confirmed by the fact that his three sons, between whom his kingdom was divided, dated their rule from 4 BC. For instance, he states that Herod Philip I's death took place, after a thirty-seven year reign, in the twentieth year of Tiberius, which would imply that he took over on Herod's death in 4 BC. In addition, Josephus says that Herod died after a lunar eclipse, and a partial eclipse took place in 4 BC.

Because of apparent inconsistencies in the method Josephus counts years, it has sometimes been suggested that this date is slightly out, and that 5 BC might be preferable - there were two total eclipses in that year. Sometimes a later date has been suggested, but the next lunar eclipse did not take place until 1 BC, and Herod's sons had already been ruling for three years by then.

Josephus records that Herod's final illness was excruciating (Ant. 17.6.5). From Josephus' descriptions, some medical experts propose that Herod had chronic kidney disease complicated by Fournier's gangrene.

Marriages and children

Herod's marriages and children

Wife	Children
Doris	Son Antipater III, executed 4 BC
Mariamne I, daughter of Hasmonean Alexandros	Son Alexandros, executed 7 BC Son Aristobulus IV, executed 7 BC Daughter Salampsio Daughter Cypros
Mariamne II, daughter of High-Priest Simon	Son Herod II Boethus, assassinated 6 BC Son Herod Philip II
Malthace	Son Herod Archelaus - Ethnarch Son Herod Antipas - Tetrarch Daughter Olympias
Cleopatra of Jerusalem	Son Herod Philip I - Tetrarch Son Herod
Pallas	Son Phasael
Phaidra	Daughter Roxane
Elpis	Daughter Salome bat Herod I
A cousin (name unknown)	no known children
A niece (name unknown)	no known children

It is very probable that Herod had more children, especially with the last wives, and also that he had more daughters, as women among Romans at that time were not counted as important.

Herod's family trees

Ancestors

Antipater the Idumaean + Cypros, Arab princess from Petra, Jordan in Nabatea.
                       |
    —————————————————————————————————————————————
   |              |            |        |        |
Phasael    Herod the Great  Joseph  Pheroras  Salome I
          (74 BC-4 BC)

Alexandros + Alexandra
           |
      ———————————————————————————————————
     |                                   |
Aristobulus III of Judea            Mariamne, dt.
(d. 35 BC)                          m. Herod the Great
(last Hasmonean scion;
appointed high priest; drowned)

Legend

Sign	Meaning
+	married
|	descended from
../———	sibling
dt.	daughter
b.	born
d.	died
m.	was married to
?	not included here or unknown

Marriages and descendents

Herod the Great + Doris
                |
            Antipater
             d. 4 BC?

Herod the Great + Mariamne I, d. 29 BC?, dt. of Alexandros.
                |
       —————————————————————————————————————————————
      |          |          |                       |
 Aristobulus   Alexander   Salampsio + Phasael     Cypros
  d 7 BC?     d 7 BC?                |             m. Antipater(2)
 m. Berenice                       Cypros
      |
     ———————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————
    |                  |               |                        |               |
Mariamne III      Herod III         Herodias              Herod Agrippa    Aristobulus V
m. her uncle   King of Chalcis   m. 1. Herod II Boethus   King of Judea
   Archelaus ?                         her uncle
                                    2. Herod Philip II
                                       her uncle
                                    3. Herod Antipas
                                       her uncle

Herod the Great + Mariamne II, dt. of Simon the High-Priest.
                |
       —————————————————
      |                 |
   Herod II      Herod Philip II
   Boethus

Herod the Great + Malthace (a Samaritan)
                |
    ————————————————————————————————————————————————
   |                                   |            |
 Herod Antipas                     Archelaus    Olympias
   b. 20 BC?
   + Phasaelis,
   dt. of Aretas IV, king of Arabia
 "divorced" to marry:
   + Herodias,
   dt. of Aristobulus (son of Herod the Great)

Herod the Great + Cleopatra of Jerusalem
                |
       Philip the Tetrarch
             d. AD 34

Notes.

• Antipater(2) was son of Joseph and Salome
• Dates with ? need verifying against modern findings

Achievements

Herod has entered posterity as a ruthless ruler because of his cruelty, not least to close members of his own family; but he was also an able and far-sighted administrator who helped in building the economic might of Judaea by founding cities and developing agricultural projects. His most famous and ambitious project was the expansion of the Second Temple in Jerusalem.

In the eighteenth year (20-19 B.C.) of his reign Herod rebuilt the Temple on "a more magnificent scale." The new Temple was finished in a year and a half, although work on out-buildings and courts continued another eighty years. To comply with religious law, Herod employed 1,000 priests as masons and carpenters in the rebuilding. The finished temple, which was destroyed in 70 CE, is often referred to as Herod's Temple.

Some of Herod's other achievements include: the rebuilding of the water supplies for Jerusalem, rebuilding the Palace in Jerusalem, refurbishing the boundary fortresses such as Masada, and creating new cities such as Caesarea Maritima and Herodion. He also had a fortress built called the Herodium. From the extraction of asphalt from the Dead Sea, he shared with Cleopatra the monopoly on its important use in ship building. He leased copper mines on Cyprus from the Roman emperor. He had a dominant position in the production of bronze, using British tin.

Herod in the New Testament

Main article: Massacre of the Innocents

Herod the Great appears in The Gospel according to Matthew (ch. 2), which describes an event known as the Massacre of the Innocents.

Shortly after the birth of Jesus, Magi from the East visit Herod to inquire the whereabouts of "the one having been born king of the Jews", because they had seen his star in the east and therefore wanted to pay him homage. Herod, who is himself King of Judea, is alarmed at the prospect of the new-born king usurping his rule.

Herod is advised by the assembled chief priests and scribes of the people that the Prophet had written that the "Anointed One" (Grk. ho christos) is to be born in Bethlehem of Judea. Herod therefore sends the Magi to Bethlehem, instructing them to search for the child, and that, when they find him, they should "report to me, so that I too may go and worship him". However, after they find Jesus, the Magi are warned in a dream not to report back to Herod. Similarly, Joseph is warned in a dream that Herod intends to kill Jesus, so Joseph and his family flee to Egypt in order to escape Herod. When Herod realizes he has been outwitted by the Magi, he gives orders to kill all boys of the age of two years and under in Bethlehem and its vicinity. Joseph and his family stay in Egypt until Herod's death, then move to Nazareth in Galilee in order to avoid living under Herod's son Archelaus.

The historical accuracy of this event has been questioned, since no other document from the period makes any reference to such a massacre. However, Bethlehem was a small rural town, and the number of children actually killed may have been as few as 5 or 6. Josephus wrote his "Antiquities" nearly 100 years after the event — it would not be surprising if he were unaware of the massacre, or didn't consider it important. Since the Messiah was expected to be of the House of David, perhaps only the Davidic children born within that year were the victims, adding that they were few and the Davidic Princes had already been persecuted before by both the Macabeans and the Herodians.

Herod the Great's son, Herod Antipas (who is also called Herod) is even more prominently featured in the New Testament for his role in John the Baptist's arrest and execution.

After Herod's death

After Herod's death, his kingdom was divided between three of his sons, namely Archelaus, Herod Antipas, and Herod Philip I, who however ruled only as tetrarchs rather than kings.

Reported tomb discovery

Aerial photo of Herodium from the south west

On May 7, 2007, an Israeli team of archaeologists of the Hebrew University, announced they had discovered the tomb at a flattened desert site called Herodium, twelve kilometers south of Jerusalem. The tomb was discovered by Professor Ehud Netzer, who is considered one of the leading experts on King Herod. Netzer has conducted archeological digs at Herodium since 1972 in an attempt to locate the grave and tomb. The location of Herod's grave has long been a mystery among archeologists. The Roman historian Josephus Flavius wrote that Herod was buried at Herodion, but the grave had not been found until now.

Further reading

• Duane W. Roller, The Building Program of Herod the Great
• Robert Gree, Herod the Great
• Michael Grant, Herod the Great

External links

• Resources > Second Temple and Talmudic Era > Herod and the Herodian Dynasty The Jewish History Resource Center - Project of the Dinur Center for Research in Jewish History, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem
• Tomb Found
• Halachic Status of Herod

• BBC Manchester/Discovery channel production broadcast 2004 March 14
• Family trees
• extract Britanicca Vol 5 page 879
• Encylopedia.com
• Outline of Great Books Volume I - King Herod: extracts from the works of Josephus
• Timeline 49 to 1 BC
• Herod surnamed the Great in the 1911 Encyclopædia Britannica
• Jewish Encyclopedia: Herod I
• Catholic Encyclopedia: Herod
• The Horrors of Herod

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