Herod the Great: Biography from Answers.com

Herod the Great (ca. 73 B.C.-4 B.C.), King of Judea, was an example of a class of client princes who kept their thrones by balancing between being over thrown by their own peoples for too much sub servience to Rome and being dismissed by the Romans for too much independence.

Judea was one among the many petty states into which the Hellenistic East had fragmented, ruled by high priests of the Hasmonean dynasty, descendants of the leaders who had freed the country from Seleucid rule. These Hasmoneans, however, were eager to raise revolts and engage in civil wars against each other, and Palestine was a cockpit of contending factions and forces. Against this background Herod's family rose to prominence; a Hasmonean, King Alexander Jannaeus, had appointed Herod's grandfather, who was probably an Idumean, to some sort of governorship in Idumea. Herod's father, Antipater, took a prominent part in a civil war between two further Hasmoneans, Hyrcanus II and Aristobulus II and his descendants, and became one of Hyrcanus's chief ministers; he also established close relations with the Romans.

Herod's mother's family were perhaps Nabatean Arabs - Herod himself never lived down the charge that he was only a half Jew - and he seems to have spent part of his childhood among the Nabateans.

Political Career

In 47 B.C., when Caesar momentarily settled Palestinian affairs, he seems to have entrusted Antipater with the effective civil government. Antipater named his eldest son, Phasael, governor of Jerusalem and his second son, Herod, governor of Galilee. Herod won favor with the Romans by his success in dealing with local guerrilla bands, but he executed a guerrilla leader out of hand, and opponents of the upstart Idumean family got the matter brought before the Sanhedrin. Herod was accused of murder. He did not quite dare ignore the summons of the Sanhedrin, but he did appear in Jerusalem with a large armed bodyguard, and the matter was dropped. He seems, however, to have lost his position in Galilee.

In 46 B.C. Herod was appointed governor of Coele-Syria and Samaria by Caesar's representative, but with the death of Caesar and the arrival of Cassius in Syria, Herod was quick to line up with the republicans. He won Cassius's favor by raising the 700 talents' tribute which Cassius exacted. He also married Mariamne, a Hasmonean princess and granddaughter of the high priest Hyrcanus II.

A Parthian invasion in 40 B.C. brought another change: Antigonus, a rival Hasmonean, became king of Judea, and Herod had to flee. He left his family in the fortress of Masada and went via Egypt to Rome. There both Antony and Octavian, the future Augustus, accepted him as a useful counter against the Parthians, and the Senate named him king of Judea.

Herod as King

The Jews of course did not recognize Rome's right to choose their king for them, and Herod, with Roman help, had to conquer his kingdom. Not until July 37 B.C. did he get Jerusalem. Antigonus and his chief followers were put to death, but on the whole Jerusalem was spared. Herod turned to the problem of the high priesthood; he himself had not the blood to claim the office, and he needed a priest who could not rival him in dignity. But the Hasmoneans, even those connected with Herod by marriage, would not forego their claims. By the end of this struggle, which raged for most of the reign, the priesthood had become only a temporary office held at the King's pleasure.

Herod's other chief difficulty during the first part of his reign stemmed from Cleopatra's desire to restore the lost empire of the Ptolemies. She did gain some territories, including the Jericho district, from Herod, but the coolness between them ultimately helped Herod as it kept him from being too close to Antony's party. When Antony fell, Herod found it relatively easy to shift his loyalty to Octavian. He, on his part, saw no reason to prefer some different puppet to Herod, who was eager to please, not fanatically Jewish, and already in possession. Octavian not merely confirmed Herod but restored Jericho and gave him other, particularly non-Jewish, territories.

The reason first Antony and then Augustus supported Herod for so long was that he pursued a policy they thoroughly favored, that of bringing Judea out of its isolation and religious exclusiveness and of putting it into the mainstream of Greco-Roman civilization. Herod consciously undertook to Hellenize every aspect of life in his kingdom. Officials were given the titles and functions of royal ministers elsewhere, and non-Jews were given many of the highest posts; the army was reconstructed and made into a mainly mercenary and non-Jewish force; theaters and circuses were built; and several of Herod's sons were sent to Rome for their training.

Herod also brought his kingdom considerable prosperity. He stabilized the coinage and maintained taxation at a bearable level. He encouraged trade and built the splendid port city of Caesarea. Indeed, he was a tremendous builder generally, and this too provided jobs. Much of his building naturally had a military purpose - fortresses like Masada were built or enlarged, military colonies were planted on the frontiers, and even many of Herod's numerous palaces were partly fortresses. His building in the cities had the further purpose of increasing Hellenization, for many of his cities, like Caesarea and Samaria (rebuilt and renamed Sebaste), were intentionally Hellenistic rather than Jewish, even to having a predominantly non-Jewish population.

During nearly his whole reign Herod faced trouble within his own family, stemming partly from the Hasmoneans' regal scorn for the Idumaean upstart, partly from Herod's Hellenizing policies, and partly from his paranoid tendency, when his suspicions were aroused, to turn and rend those he loved best. As early as 29 B.C. he had killed his wife, Mariamne, from jealousy. As the years went by, the whole matter was further complicated by the question of the succession, for like many people with a strong will to power, Herod showed little ability at facing the idea of losing it, even to death.

In the years of intricate scheming and counterscheming between Herod and his heirs, three of Herod's sons were put to death, and his brother "escaped death only by dying." And when Herod finally did die in 4 B.C., he left a disputed succession with two further sons both having some claim to the throne. Augustus finally resolved the matter by splitting the inheritance between these two sons and still a third one, and not allowing the title of king to any of them.

Herod's Accomplishment

In an age when even the existence of the smaller states depended not on their own strength but on the will of Rome, Herod kept Judea safe, secure, and prosperous. And yet, throughout his career Herod suffered from being caught somewhere between Jew and Gentile. He loved Greek culture and showered money on the cities of the Greek East, but he began the rebuilding of the Temple and acted as protector and spokesman for various Jewish communities scattered about the world. He sought the favor of Rome and was ostentatious in his loyalty to it, yet he wished to strengthen the position of the Jewish state. In the final analysis, he failed to judge the temper of his people, and, though the great crisis did not come until the reign of Nero, his attempt to make the Jewish kingdom another civil state of the customary Mediterranean type was already a failure at his death.

Herod I the Great
King of the Jews, Ruler of Galilee and Batanea

Fictional, undated portrayal of Herod the Great.
Reign	37 - 4 BC
Born	74 BC
Died	4 BC (aged 70)
Place of death	Jericho, Samaria
Buried	Herodium, Judea
Predecessor	Antigonus II Mattathias
Successor	Herod Archelaus
Wives	Doris Mariamne I Mariamne II Malthace Cleopatra of Jerusalem
Dynasty	Herodian Dynasty
Father	Antipater the Idumaean
Mother	Cypros

Biography

Copper coin of Herod, bearing the legend "ΒΑΣΙΛΕΩΣ ΗΡΩΔΟΥ" ("Basileōs Hērōdou") on the obverse

Herod was born around 74 BC.^[5] He was the second son of Antipater the Idumaean, a high-ranked official under Ethnarch Hyrcanus II, and Cypros, a Nabatean.^[6] A loyal supporter of Hyrcanus II, Antipater appointed Herod governor of Galilee at 25, and his elder brother, Phasael, governor of Jerusalem. He enjoyed the backing of Rome but his excessive brutality was condemned by the Sanhedrin.

In 43 BC, following the chaos caused by Antipater offering financial support to Caesar's murderers, Antipater was poisoned. Herod, backed by the Roman Army, executed his father's murderer.

After the battle of Philippi towards the end of 42 BC, he convinced Mark Antony and Octavian that his father had been forced to help Caesar's murderers. After Antony marched into Asia, Herod was named tetrarch of Galilee by the Romans. However, since Herod's family had converted to Judaism, his Jewishness had come into question by some elements of Jewish society^{[citation needed]}. When the Maccabean John Hyrcanus conquered the region of Idumaea (the Edom of the Hebrew Bible) in 140–130 BC, he required all Idumaeans to obey Jewish law or to leave; most Idumaeans thus converted to Judaism, which meant that they had to be circumcised.^[7] While King Herod publicly identified himself as a Jew and was considered as such by some,^[8] this religious identification was undermined by the decadent lifestyle of the Herodians, which would have earned them the antipathy of observant Jews.^[9]

Two years later Antigonus, Hyrcanus' nephew, took the throne from his uncle with the help of the Parthians. Herod fled to Rome to plead with the Romans to restore him to power. There he was elected "King of the Jews" by the Roman Senate.^[10] Josephus puts this in the year of the consulship of Calvinus and Pollio (40 BC), but Appian places it in 39 BC.^[5] Herod went back to Israel to win his kingdom from Antigonus and at the same time he married the teenage niece of Antigonus, Mariamne (known as Mariamne I), in an attempt to secure a claim to the throne and gain some Jewish favor. However, Herod already had a wife, Doris, and a three-year-old son, Antipater, and chose therefore to banish Doris and her child.

Three years later, Herod and the Romans finally captured Jerusalem and executed Antigonus. Herod took the role as sole ruler of Israel and the title of basileus (Gr. Βασιλευς, king) for himself, ushering in the Herodian Dynasty and ending the Hasmonean Dynasty. Josephus reports this as being in the year of the consulship of Agrippa and Gallus (37 BC), but also says that it was exactly 27 years after Jerusalem fell to Pompey, which would indicate 36 BC. (Cassius Dio also reports that in 37 "the Romans accomplished nothing worthy of note" in the area.^[11]) According to Josephus, he ruled for 37 years, 34 years of them after capturing Jerusalem.

Model of Herod's Temple

Herod later executed several members of his own family, including his wife Mariamne. A summary of the rest of his life can be found in the Chronology section below.

Architectural achievements

Main article: Herodian architecture

Herod's most famous and ambitious project was the expansion of the Second Temple in Jerusalem.

In the eighteenth year of his reign (20–19 BC), Herod rebuilt the Temple on "a more magnificent scale".^[12] The new Temple was finished in a year and a half, although work on out-buildings and courts continued another eighty years.^[12] To comply with religious law, Herod employed 1,000 priests as masons and carpenters in the rebuilding.^[12] The finished temple, which was destroyed in 70 AD, is sometimes referred to as Herod's Temple. Today, only the four retaining walls remain standing, including the Wailing Wall or Western Wall. These walls created a flat platform (the Temple Mount) upon which the Temple was then constructed.

Some of Herod's other achievements include the development of water supplies for Jerusalem, building fortresses such as Masada and Herodium, and founding new cities such as Caesarea Maritima and the enclosures of Cave of the Patriarchs and Mamre in Hebron. He and Cleopatra owned a monopoly over the extraction of asphalt from the Dead Sea, which was used in ship building. He leased copper mines on Cyprus from the Roman emperor.

Discovery of quarry

On September 25, 2007, Yuval Baruch, archaeologist with the Israeli Antiquities Authority announced their discovery of a quarry compound which provided King Herod with the stones to renovate the second Temple. It houses the Temple Mount. Coins, pottery and iron stakes found proved the date of the quarrying to be about 19 BC. Archaeologist Ehud Netzer confirmed that the large outlines of the stone cuts is evidence that it was a massive public project worked on by hundreds of slaves.^[13]

New Testament references

Main article: Massacre of the Innocents

Herod the Great appears in ancient Christian scriptures, in the Gospel according to Matthew (Ch. 2), which describes an event known as the Massacre of the Innocents. No historical extra-biblical source exists supporting this claim of such a decree by Herod.^[14]

According to Matthew, shortly after the birth of Jesus, Magi from the East visited 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 was himself King of the Jews, was alarmed at the prospect of the newborn king usurping his rule.

In the story, Herod assembled the chief priests and scribes of the people and asked them where the "Anointed One" (the Messiah, Greek: ho christos) was to be born. They answered, in Bethlehem, citing Micah 5:2. Herod therefore sent the Magi to Bethlehem, instructing them to search for the child and, after they had found him, to "report to me, so that I too may go and worship him". However, after they had found Jesus, the Magi were warned in a dream not to report back to Herod. Similarly, Joseph was warned in a dream that Herod intended to kill Jesus, so he and his family fled to Egypt. When Herod realized he had been outwitted by the Magi, he gave orders to kill all boys of the age of two and under in Bethlehem and its vicinity. Joseph and his family stayed in Egypt until Herod's death, then moved to Nazareth in Galilee in order to avoid living under Herod's son Archelaus.

The historical accuracy of this event has been questioned, since although Herod was certainly guilty of many brutal acts, including the killing of his wife and two of his sons, no other source from the period makes any reference to such a massacre.^[14] (Luke gives the impression that the Joseph, Mary, and Jesus returned directly to Nazareth shortly after the birth.) Rather, the New Testament account of Herod killing these children may be meant to reflect the story of Moses as a type for Jesus.^[15]^{[clarification needed]}. Since Bethlehem was a small village, the number of male children under the age of 2, would probably not exceed 20. This may be the reason for the lack of other sources for this history.^[16] Although, Herod's order in Matthew 2-16 includes those children in Bethleham's vicinity, making the massacre larger numerically and geographically.

Death

Coin of Herod the Great, bearing a temple and star of david

Since the work of Emil Schürer in 1896^[17] scholars have generally concluded that Herod died at the end of March or early April in 4 BC.^[5]^[18]

Josephus wrote that Herod died 37 years after being named as King by the Romans, and 34 years after the death of Antigonus.^[19] This would imply that he died in 4 BC.

Further evidence is provided by the fact that his sons, between whom his kingdom was divided, dated their rule from 4 BC.^[20], and Archilaus apparently also exercised royal authority during Herod's lifetime.^[21] Josephus states that Philip the Tetrarch's death took place after a 37-year reign, in the 20th year of Tiberius (34 AD).^[22]

Josephus tells us that Herod died after a lunar eclipse.^[23] He gives an account of events between this eclipse and his death, and between his death and Passover. A partial eclipse^[24] took place on March 13, 4 BC, about 29 days before Passover, and this eclipse is usually taken to be the one referred to by Josephus.^[25] There were however three other, total, eclipses around this time, and there are proponents of both 5 BC^[26]– with two total eclipses^[27]^[28], and 1 BC^[5].

Bronze coin of Herod the Great, minted at Samaria.

Josephus wrote that Herod's final illness – sometimes named as "Herod's Evil"^[29] – was excruciating (Ant. 17.6.5). From Josephus' descriptions, some medical experts propose that Herod had chronic kidney disease complicated by Fournier's gangrene.^[30] Modern scholars agree he suffered throughout his lifetime from depression and paranoia.^[31] More recently, others report that the visible worms and putrefaction described in his final days are likely to have been scabies. This can explain his death, but can also account for his psychiatric symptoms.^[32] Similar symptoms attended the death of his grandson Herod Agrippa in AD 44.

Josephus also stated that Herod was so concerned that no one would mourn his death, that he commanded a large group of distinguished men to come to Jericho, and he gave order that they should be killed at the time of his death so that the displays of grief that he craved would take place. Fortunately for them, Herod's son Archilaus and sister Salome did not carry out this wish.

After Herod's death, his kingdom was divided among three of his sons. Archilaus became king of Judaea, Herod Antipas became tetrarch of Galilee and Peraea, and Philip became tetrarch of territories east of the Jordan.

Tomb discovery

Aerial photo of Herodium from the southwest

The location of Herod's tomb is documented by Roman historian Flavius Josephus, who writes, "And the body was carried two hundred furlongs, to Herodium, where he had given order to be buried."^[33]

Flavius Josephus provides more clues about Herod's tomb which he calls Herod's monuments:

So they threw down all the hedges and walls which the inhabitants had made about their gardens and groves of trees, and cut down all the fruit trees that lay between them and the wall of the city, and filled up all the hollow places and the chasms, and demolished the rocky precipices with iron instruments; and thereby made all the place level from Scopus to Herod's monuments, which adjoined to the pool called the Serpent's Pool.^[34]

Professor Ehud Netzer, an archaeologist from Hebrew University, read the writings of Josephus and focused his search on the vicinity of the pool and its surroundings at the Winter Palace of Herod in the Judean desert. An article of the New York Times states,

Lower Herodium consists of the remains of a large palace, a race track, service quarters, and a monumental building whose function is still a mystery. Perhaps, says Ehud Netzer, who excavated the site, it is Herod's mausoleum. Next to it is a pool, almost twice as large as modern Olympic-size pools.^[35]

It took 35 years for Netzer to identify the exact location, but on May 7, 2007, an Israeli team of archaeologists of the Hebrew University led by Netzer, announced they had discovered the tomb.^[36]^[37]^[38]^[39]^[40] The site is located at the exact location given by Flavius Josephus, atop of tunnels and water pools, at a flattened desert site, halfway up the hill to Herodium, 12 kilometers (7.5 mi) south of Jerusalem.^[41] The tomb contained a broken sarcophagus but no remains of a body.

Chronology

30s BC

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

Judaea under Herod the Great.

39–37 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 Israel, high priest, fearing that the Jews would appoint Aristobulus III of Israel "King of the Jews" in his place.
35 BC– Aristobulus III is drowned at a party, on Herod's orders.
32 BC– The war against Nabatea begins, with victory one year later.
31 BC– Israel suffers a devastating earthquake. Octavian defeats Mark Antony, so Herod switches allegiance to Octavian, later known as Augustus.
30 BC– Herod is shown great favour by Octavian, who at Rhodes confirms him as King of Israel.

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 charge of adultery. His sister, Salome I, 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. Mariamne was executed, and Alexandra declared herself Queen, stating that Herod was mentally unfit to serve. Josephus wrote that this was Alexandra's strategic mistake; Herod executed her without trial.
28 BC– Herod executed his brother-in-law Kostobar^[42] (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 was foiled. To honor Augustus, Herod rebuilt Samaria and renamed it Sebaste.
25 BC– Herod imported grain from Egypt and started an aid program to combat the widespread hunger and disease that followed a massive drought. He also waives a third of the taxes.
23 BC– Herod built a palace in Jerusalem and the fortress Herodion (Herodium) in Judea. He married his third wife, Mariamne II, the daughter of high priest Simon.^[43]
22 BC– Herod began construction on Caesarea Maritima and its harbor. The Roman emperor Augustus grants him the regions Trachonitis, Batanaea and Auranitis to the north-east.
Circa 20 BC– Expansion started on the Second Temple. (See Herod's Temple)

10s BC

Circa 18 BC– Herod traveled for the second time to Rome.
14 BC– Herod supported the Jews in Anatolia and Cyrene. Owing to the prosperity in Judaea he waived a quarter of the taxes.
13 BC– Herod made his first-born son Antipater (his son by Doris) first heir in his will.
12 BC– Herod suspected both his sons (from his marriage to Mariamne I) Alexander and Aristobulus of threatening his life. He took them to Aquileia to be tried. Augustus reconciled the three. Herod supported the financially strapped Olympic Games and ensured their future. Herod amended his will so that Alexander and Aristobulus rose in the royal succession, but Antipater would be higher in the succession.
Circa 10 BC– The newly expanded temple in Jerusalem was inaugurated. War against the Nabateans began.

0s BC

9 BC– Caesarea Maritima was inaugurated. Owing to the course of the war against the Nabateans, Herod fell into disgrace with Augustus. Herod again suspected Alexander of plotting to kill him.
8 BC– Herod accused his sons by Mariamne I of high treason. Herod reconciled with Augustus, who also gave him the permission to proceed legally against his sons.
7 BC– The court hearing took place in Berytos (Beirut) before a Roman court. Mariamne I's sons were found guilty and executed. The succession changed so that Antipater was the exclusive successor to the throne. In second place the succession incorporated (Herod) Philip, his son by Mariamne II.
6 BC– Herod proceeded against the Pharisees.
5 BC– Antipater was brought before the court charged with the intended murder of Herod. Herod, by now seriously ill, named his son (Herod) Antipas (from his fourth marriage with Malthace) as his successor.
4 BC– Young disciples smashed the golden eagle over the main entrance of the Temple of Jerusalem after the Pharisee teachers claimed it was an idolatrous Roman symbol. Herod arrested them, brought them to court, and sentenced them. Augustus approved the death penalty for Antipater. Herod then executed his son, and again changed his will: Archelaus (from the marriage with Malthace) would rule as king over Herod's entire kingdom, while Antipas (by Malthace) and Philip (from the fifth marriage with Cleopatra of Jerusalem) would rule as Tetrarchs over Galilee and Peraea (Transjordan), also over Gaulanitis (Golan), Trachonitis (Hebrew: Argob), Batanaea (now Ard-el-Bathanyeh) and Panias. As Augustus did not confirm his will, no one got the title of King; however, the three sons did get the stated territories.

Marriages and children

**Herod's marriages and children**
Wife	Children
Doris	Son Antipater III, executed 4 BC
Mariamne I, daughter of Hasmonean Alexandros	Son Alexander, executed 7 BC Son Aristobulus IV, executed 7 BC Daughter Salampsio Daughter Cypros
Mariamne II, daughter of High-Priest Simon	Son Herod II Boethus
Malthace	Son Herod Archelaus - Ethnarch Son Herod Antipas - Tetrarch Daughter Olympias
Cleopatra of Jerusalem	Son Herod Philip II - 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 female births at that time were often not recorded.^{[citation needed]}

Family trees

This article's factual accuracy is disputed. Please see the relevant discussion on the talk page. (March 2008)

Marriages and descendants

Ancestors

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

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

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

Herod in later culture

Main article: Cultural depictions of Herod the Great

References

^ Aryeh Kasher, Eliezer Witztum, Karen Gold (transl.), King Herod: a persecuted persecutor : a case study in psychohistory and psychobiography, Walter de Gruyter, 2007
^ http://www.aish.com/literacy/JewishHistory/Crash_Course_in_Jewish_History_Part_31_-_Herod3_the_Great.asp
^ "When Herod realized that he had been outwitted by the Magi, he was furious, and he gave orders to kill all the boys in Bethlehem and its vicinity who were two years old and under, in accordance with the time he had learned from the Magi." New International Version (Eng. Bible-NIV095-00301 ABS-1986-20,000-Z-1)
^ "Most recent biographies of Herod the Great deny it entirely",Paul L. Maier, "Herod and the Infants of Bethlehem", in Chronos, Kairos, Christos II, Mercer University Press (1998), 170; see also Geza Vermes, The Nativity: History and Legend, London, Penguin, 2006, p22; E. P. Sanders, The Historical Figure of Jesus, Penguin, 1993, p.85
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d Steinmann, Andrew, "When Did Herod the Great Reign?", Novum Testamentum, Volume 51, Number 1, 2009 , pp. 1-29(29); Ormond Edwards, “Herodian Chronology,” Palestine Exploration Quarterly 114 (1982) 29-42; W.E. Filmer, “Chronology of the Reign of Herod the Great,” Journal of Theological Studies ns 17 (1966) 283-298; Paul Keresztes, Imperial Rome and the Christians: From Herod the Great to About 200 A.D. (Lanham, MD: University Press of America, 1989) 1-43;“The Nativity and Herod’s Death,” in Chronos, Kairos, Christos: Nativity and Chronological Studies Presented to Jack Finegan, ed. Jerry Vardaman and Edwin M. Yamauchi (Winona Lake, IN: Eisenbrauns, 1989) 85-92.
^ "Herod I". Encyclopaedia Judaica. (CD-ROM Edition Version 1.0). Ed. Cecil Roth. Keter Publishing House. ISBN 965-07-0665-8
^ Jewish Encyclopedia: Circumcision: Circumcision Necessary or Not?: "The rigorous Shammaite view, voiced in the Book of Jubilees (l.c.), prevailed in the time of King John Hyrcanus, who forced the Abrahamic rite upon the Idumeans, and in that of King Aristobulus, who made the Itureans undergo circumcision (Josephus, "Ant." xiii. 9, § 1; 11, § 3)."
^ Flavius Josephus, The Jewish War, Book 2, Chapter 13, "There was also another disturbance at Caesarea, - those Jews who were mixed with the Syrians that lived there rising a tumult against them. The Jews pretended that the city was theirs, and said that he who built it was a Jew, meaning King Herod. The Syrians confessed also that its builder was a Jew; but they still said, however, that the city was a Grecian city; for that he who set up statues and temples in it could not design it for Jews."
^ Jewish Encyclopedia: Herod I: Opposition of the Pious: "All the worldly pomp and splendor which made Herod popular among the pagans, however, rendered him abhorrent to the Jews, who could not forgive him for insulting their religious feelings by forcing upon them heathen games and combats with wild animals …"
^ Jewish War 1.14.4: Mark Antony " …then resolved to get him made king of the Jews… told them that it was for their advantage in the Parthian war that Herod should be king; so they all gave their votes for it. And when the senate was separated, Antony and Caesar went out, with Herod between them; while the consul and the rest of the magistrates went before them, in order to offer sacrifices [to the Roman gods], and to lay the decree in the Capitol. Antony also made a feast for Herod on the first day of his reign;"
^ Dio, Roman History 49.23.1-2.
^ ^a ^b ^c Temple of Herod, Jewish Encyclopedia
^ Yahoo.com, Report: Herod's Temple quarry found
^ ^a ^b E. P. Sanders, The Historical Figure of Jesus, pp. 87-88.
^ http://www.nccbuscc.org/nab/bible/matthew/matthew2.htm#foot6
^ World Biblical Commentary: Matthew 1-13 page 35, Word INC, 1993
^ Emil Schürer, A History of the Jewish People in the Time of Jesus Christ, 5 vols. New York, Scribner’s, 1896.
^ Timothy David Barnes, “The Date of Herod’s Death,” Journal of Theological Studies ns 19 (1968), 204-19; P. M. Bernegger, “Affirmation of Herod’s Death in 4 B.C.,” Journal of Theological Studies ns 34 (1983), 526-31.
^ Flavius Josephus, Jewish Antiquities, Book 17, Chapter 8
^ Josephus, War, 1.631-632.
^ Josephus, War, 2.26.
^ Harold W. Hoehner, Herod Antipas, (Zondervan, 1980) page 251.
^ (Flavius Josephus, Jewish Antiquities, 17.167)
^ NASA catalog, only 37 % of the moon was in shadow
^ P. M. Bernegger, “Affirmation of Herod’s Death in 4 B.C.,” Journal of Theological Studies ns 34 (1983), 526-31.
^ Timothy David Barnes, “The Date of Herod’s Death,” Journal of Theological Studies ns 19 (1968), 204-19
^ NASA lunar eclipse catalog Lunar Eclipses: -0099 to 0000 (100 BCE to 1 BCE)
^ W. E. Filmer, “Chronology of the Reign of Herod the Great,” Journal of Theological Studies ns 17 (1966), 283-98
^ What loathsome disease did King Herod die of?, The Straight Dope, November 23, 1979
^ CNN Archives, 2002
^ http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/876330.htm
^ Ashrafian H. Herod the Great and his worms. J Infect. 2005 Jul;51(1):82-3.
^ Flavius Josephus. The Wars of the Jews or History of the Destruction of Jerusalem. Book V. Chapter 33.1
^ Flavius Josephus. The War of the Jews or History of the Destruction of Jerusalem. Book V. Chapter 3.2
^ Nitza Rosovsky. Discovering Herod's Israel. The New York Times. April 24, 1983
^ Hebrew University: Herod's tomb and grave found at Herodium http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/856784.html
^ "Israeli Archaeologist Finds Tomb of King Herod", FOX News, 7 May 2007
^ "King Herod's tomb unearthed, Israeli university claims", CNN, 7 May 2007
^ Herod's Tomb Discovered IsraCast, May 8, 2007.
^ "Herod's tomb reportedly found inside his desert palace" The Boston Globe, May 8, 2007.
^ Associated Press. Archaeologists Find Tomb of King Herod. The New York Times, May 9, 2007, http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/world/AP-Israel-Herods-Tomb.html
^ Flavius Josephus, Antiquities of the Jews, Book XV, Chapter 7.8
^ Flavius Josephus, Antiquities of the Jews, Book XV, Chapter 9.3

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
Herod's Tomb -images
Magen Broshi, A King on the Shrink's Couch, review of "King Herod: A Persecuted Persecutor
Family trees
extract Britanicca Vol 5 page 879
Encyclopedia.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
King Herod the Great
King Herod's Tomb Found Biblical Archaeology Review
The Works of Flavius Josephus

Herod the Great House of Herod Died: 4 BC
Preceded by Antigonus	King of the Jews 37 BC– 4 BC	Succeeded by Herod Archelaus
	Ruler of Galilee 37 BC– 4 BC	Succeeded by Herod Antipas
	Ruler of Batanea 37 BC– 4 BC	Succeeded by Herod Philip II

v • d • e Israelite Kings

Pre-Dynastic	Abimelech

United Monarchy	Saul · Ish-boseth · David · Solomon · Rehoboam

Northern Kingdom of Israel	Jeroboam I · Nadab · Baasha · Elah · Zimri · Omri · Ahab & Jezebel · Ahaziah · Jehoram · Jehu · Jehoahaz · Jehoash · Jeroboam II · Zechariah · Shallum · Menahem · Pekahiah · Pekah · Hoshea

Southern Kingdom of Judah	Rehoboam · Abijam · Asa · Jehoshaphat · Jehoram · Ahaziah · Athaliah · Jehoash · Amaziah · Uzziah (or Azariah) · Jotham · Ahaz · Hezekiah · Manasseh · Amon · Josiah · Jehoahaz · Jehoiakim · Jeconiah (or Jehoiachin) · Zedekiah

Hasmonean Dynasty	Simon Maccabaeus · John Hyrcanus · Aristobulus I · Alexander Jannaeus · Salome Alexandra · Hyrcanus II · Aristobulus II · Hyrcanus II · Antigonus II Mattathias

Herodian Dynasty	Herod the Great · Herod Archelaus · Herod Antipas · Herod Philip II

Italics: Disputed kingship, or kingship over only part of Israel

New Testament people

Jesus Christ

views: Christian · Historical · New Testament

Gospels

Individuals	Alphaeus · Anna · Annas · Barabbas · Bartimaeus · blind man, Bethsaida · Caiaphas · Cleopas · Devil · Dismas · Elizabeth · Gabriel · "Gestas," thief · Jairus' Daughter · Joachim · Joanna · John the Baptist · Joseph · Joseph of Arimathea · Joses · Lazarus · Legion · "Longinus" · Luke · Lysanias · Malchus · Mark · Martha · Mary Magdalene · Mary mother of James · Mary mother of Jesus · Mary of Bethany · Mary of Clopas · Widow's son, Nain · Nathanael · Nicodemus (ben Gurion) · Salome · Simeon · Simon of Cyrene · Simon the Leper · Susanna · Theophilus · Zacchaeus · Zechariah

Groups	Angels · Disciples · Evangelists · Godfearers · Herodians · Magi · Myrrhbearers · Pharisees · Proselytes · Sadducees · Samaritans · Sanhedrin · 70 Disciples · Scribes · Zealots

The Twelve

Andrew • Bartholomew • James of Alphaeus • James of Zebedee • John (Beloved, Evangelist, Patmos) • Judas Iscariot • Jude Thaddeus • Matthew • Matthias • Peter • Philip • Simon the Zealot, (Judas) • Thomas

Acts
Peter · Paul

Agabus · Ananias (Judaea) · Ananias (Damascus) · Apollos · Aquila · Aristarchus · Bar-jesus · Barnabas · Cornelius · Demetrius · Dionysius · Dorcas · Eutychus · Gamaliel · James the Just · Jason · Joseph Barsabas, · Judas of Galilee · Lucius · Luke · Lydia · Manahen · (John) Mark · Mary mother of J. Mark · Matthias · Nicholas · Paul · Philip · Priscilla · Publius · Sapphira · Sceva · Seven Deacons · Silas/Silvanus · Simeon of Jerusalem · Simon the Sorcerer · Sopater · Stephen · Theudas · Timothy · Titus · Trophimus · Tychicus

Romans &
Herod's family

Gospels	Cornelius · Herod Antipas · Herod Archelaus · Herod Philip II · Herod the Great · Herodias · "Longinus" · Pontius Pilate · Pilate's Wife · Quirinius · Salome · Tiberius

Acts	Agrippa I · Agrippa II · Felix · Claudius Lysias · Junius A. Gallio · Festus · Sergius Paulus

Epistles

Achaichus · Alexander · Archippus · Aretas IV · Crescens · Diotrephes · Epaphroditus · Erastus · Hymenaeus · Jesus Justus · Junia · Mary · Angel Michael · Nymphas · Philemon · Philetus · Phoebe · Syntyche

Revelation

Antipas · Four Horsemen · Apollyon · Two Witnesses · Woman · Beast · Three Angels · Whore of Babylon

Full List · Jesus: (Ministry, Miracles, Parables, Timeline) · New Testament · NT Canon · Gospels (Synoptic) · Epistles (Pauline, General) · Apostolic Age

v • d • e Christmas

Main	Christmas Eve · Christmas Day · History · The Nativity · Bringers of gifts · Decorations · Economics · Customs

Christianity	Nativity of Jesus · Nativity of Jesus in art · Nativity scene · Nativity of Jesus in later culture · Jesus Christ · Mary · Joseph · Angel Gabriel · Adoration of the Shepherds · Three Wise Men · Star of Bethlehem · King Herod · Massacre of the Innocents · Saint Nicholas · Bethlehem · Twelfth Night · Epiphany · Advent · Christmastide

Folklore	Father Christmas · Santa Claus · Mrs. Claus · Santa Claus's elfs · Santa Claus's reindeer · Sinterklaas · Père Noël · Joulupukki · Ded Moroz · La Befana · Christkind · Black Peter · Krampus · Belsnickel · Le Père Fouettard · North Pole · Santa's workshop · Korvatunturi

Traditions	Twelve Days of Christmas · Christmas trees · Wassailing · Yule log · Stockings · Ornaments · Lights · Nutcrackers · Christmas cards · Christmas stamps · NORAD Tracks Santa · Secret Santa · Advent calendars · Yule Goats · Santa Claus parades · Flying Santa · Christmas markets · Plants · Food · Feasts · Events · Parades — Worldwide: German · Philippine · Polish · Serbian · Ukrainian

Media	Fiction · Films · Plays — TV: Episodes · Specials — Music: Albums · Hit singles and tracks · Carols · Other Christmas music and songs

Society	Christmas club · Christmas controversy · Christmas creep · Christmas Mountains · Christmas truce · Christmas in various language · Black Friday · Cyber Monday · Boxing Day · White Christmas · Christmas Day (Trading) Act 2004 · Christmas and holiday season · Related holidays · List of winter festivals · SantaCon · Running of the Santas · Christmas in July · Christmas in August · Christmas in the American Civil War · Christmas in Puritan New England · Christmas in the post-War United States · Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus

Literature	The Nutcracker and the Mouse King · A Visit from St. Nicholas · A Christmas Carol · The Chimes · The Cricket on the Hearth · The Battle of Life · The Haunted Man and the Ghost’s Bargain · The Gift of the Magi · The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus · A Kidnapped Santa Claus · Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer · The Greatest Gift (story) · How the Grinch Stole Christmas! · The Polar Express · Skipping Christmas ·

Film	Christmas films · It's a Wonderful Life · Miracle on 34th Street · A Christmas Story · Home Alone · Jingle All the Way ·

Television Special	Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer · A Charlie Brown Christmas · Frosty the Snowman ·

Music	Christmas music · I'll Be Home for Christmas · White Christmas (song) · Hardrock, Coco and Joe ·

v • d • e Israelite Kings

Pre-Dynastic	Abimelech

United Monarchy	Saul · Ish-boseth · David · Solomon · Rehoboam

Northern Kingdom of Israel	Jeroboam I · Nadab · Baasha · Elah · Zimri · Omri · Ahab & Jezebel · Ahaziah · Jehoram · Jehu · Jehoahaz · Jehoash · Jeroboam II · Zechariah · Shallum · Menahem · Pekahiah · Pekah · Hoshea

Southern Kingdom of Judah	Rehoboam · Abijam · Asa · Jehoshaphat · Jehoram · Ahaziah · Athaliah · Jehoash · Amaziah · Uzziah (or Azariah) · Jotham · Ahaz · Hezekiah · Manasseh · Amon · Josiah · Jehoahaz · Jehoiakim · Jeconiah (or Jehoiachin) · Zedekiah

Hasmonean Dynasty	Simon Maccabaeus · John Hyrcanus · Aristobulus I · Alexander Jannaeus · Salome Alexandra · Hyrcanus II · Aristobulus II · Hyrcanus II · Antigonus II Mattathias

Herodian Dynasty	Herod the Great · Herod Archelaus · Herod Antipas · Herod Philip II

Italics: Disputed kingship, or kingship over only part of Israel

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Herod the Great

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