In the Bible, and especially in the New Testament, the name of King Herod is mentioned a number of times. These are different men who all come from the Herod dynasty. This dynasty started with Herod the Great. He is mentioned in the Bible in connection with the infanticide in Bethlehem. Other descendants of the Herod dynasty mentioned in the Bible are Herod Antipas, who had John the Baptist beheaded, Herod Agrippa I, who had the apostle James killed, and Herod Agrippa II who interrogated Paul when he was being held captive by Festus.
King Herod the Great
Herod the Great is an important ruler in the history of the Jewish people. To this day he is known for his beautiful construction projects. For example, he ordered the construction of the temple in Jerusalem and fortresses such as Herodium and Masada. Despite these beautiful buildings, Herod the Great provokes horror because of his many cruel deeds. The duality of the beautiful buildings on the one hand and his cruelty on the other makes it difficult to form an unequivocal opinion about him. Even one of his earliest biographers, Flavius Josephus, a first-century Jewish historian, found it difficult to evaluate him as a king. Who was Herod the Great?
The origins of Herod the Great
Herod probably came from an ancient Idumean family. His parents were Antipater and Cypros. He was related to the Arabs through his mother. He was born about 73 BC. He was not originally of Jewish descent, but the Idumeans were forcibly forced to become Jews by John Hyrcanus. John Hyrcanus was a Hasmonean leader and Jewish high priest. He circumcised all the men of Idumea. Herod wanted to be considered Jewish as a ruler. His father Antipater was given the title ‘Ethnarch of the Jews’ by the Jewish High Priest. Ethnarch is an ancient Greek title for a vassal king. In that capacity, Antipater had great legal power for the Jews.
The reign of Herod the Great
After a time of struggle and with the help of Rome, Herod captured Jerusalem in 37 BC. The siege of the city lasted five months. Herod became king of Judea. A major crisis in his reign occurred around 31 BC. Herod was then at war with the Arabs. After defeat, Herod saw that his rule was seriously threatened. He turned to Octavian, who later became Emperor Augustus. This choice turned out well. With the promise that he would be loyal to Rome, he received full recognition from Octavian and his territory was expanded. Herod tried to win the favor of the Jews by marrying the Hasmonean princess, Mariamme. In 30 BC he had her murdered on suspicion of a conspiracy against the king.
Masada / Source: Godot13, Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA-4.0)
The buildings of Herod the Great
Herod is known for his major construction projects. In 22 B.C. let him enlarge the great harbor of Caesarea. Dilapidated cities are rebuilt, castles and palaces are built. Walls, markets, canals, baths, gymnasiums, colonnades and theaters were built by him. To avoid antagonizing the Jews, he did not have a temple for the emperor built on Jewish territory. The king hoped to win over the Jews by building a new temple. Construction had to be done in accordance with priestly regulations. He also built the famous fortress of Masada. Herod could use this fortress on a rock near the Dead Sea as a safe hiding place. To pay for all these buildings, Herod the Great imposed heavy taxes on the Jews.
The Cruelty of Herod the Great
Herod the Great was paranoid about the possibility that his rule would be taken over by force. To secure his throne and his position, he took the lives of many family members and close associates. According to Macrobius, a Roman writer from the fifth century AD, Emperor Augustus once said: ,It is better to be Herod’s pig than his son., Macrobius has Augustus say that a son of Herod is in danger while a pig is safe with him, because in a Jewish household people do not kill pigs. According to the Jewish historian Josephus, Herod killed three of his sons: his firstborn, Antipater, and his two sons he had with Mariamme: Aristobul and Alexander. Herod also had all the leading men of the Jewish population imprisoned in the horse racing track of Jericho. When he felt his end approaching, he planned to have all the trapped men surrounded and killed by soldiers when he died. Then, according to him, all Judea and every family will weep for him. When he died, the prisoners were immediately released on the orders of his sister Salome.
The Infanticide in Bethlehem
From the Bible we know Herod the Great mainly from the story of the infanticide in Bethlehem. This story fits the cruel picture of Herod that sources outside the Bible give. Herod hears from the wise men from the East that a new king has been born. Herod, fearing that the new king is a threat to his throne, has all the boys in and around Bethlehem killed (Matthew 2: 120).
When Herod realized that he had been deceived by the magi, he became terribly angry, and according to the time he had heard from the magi, he ordered the killing of all the boys in Bethlehem and the surrounding area from two years old and under. Thus was fulfilled what was said through the prophet Jeremiah: ‘There was a voice in Ramah, weeping and lamenting loudly. Rachel wept for her children, and would not be comforted, for they are no more.” (Matthew 2:16–18).
Herod Archelaus
After the death of Herod the Great, his territory was divided among his three sons, Archelaus, Philip and Antipas. This is how Herod described it in his will. Archelaus became ruler of Judea, Idumea and Samaria. Emperor Augustus awarded Archelaus the title of ethnarch. If he turned out to be a good ruler, he would later become king. In terms of cruelty, he followed in his father’s footsteps. The charges against him were so numerous that Emperor Augustus exiled him to Gaul in 6 AD, where he died. He ruled from 4 BC to 6 AD.
Joseph avoids Archelaus’ territory
Joseph, Mary and little Jesus had fled to Egypt to escape Herod the Great’s infanticide. When Herod died they returned. Joseph was afraid to go into the territory of Archelaus. Joseph was familiar with his cruelty. He is led by God in a dream not to go to the territory of Archelaus, but to Galilee, the territory of his brother Herod Antipas (Matthew 2:22).
Herod Philip
Herod Philip, as the son of Herod the Great, also received part of his empire under his control. Herod Philip, unlike his father, was a mild ruler. Philip is mentioned in Mark 6 verse 17. Herod Antipas had John the Baptist captured because of Herodias. She was first the wife of Herod Philip. After a divorce, she became the wife of Herod Antipas, Philip’s brother.
Herod Antipas
Herod Antipas was the son of Herod the Great and the Samaritan Malthake. Herod Antipas was raised and educated in Rome. He ruled from 4 to 39 AD. The position as ruler became stronger when his brother Archelaus was exiled to Gaul in 6 AD. Herod Antipas is mentioned in the New Testament only by his dynastic name, ‘Herod’. He was a true descendant of his father. Although he did not have his father’s diplomatic talent, he loved pomp and pageantry. He also initiated many architectural projects, such as the construction of the city of Tiberias. Given his palace and the many sculptures he left behind, he had a preference for Greek culture.
The beheading of John the Baptist
Herod Antipas beheaded John the Baptist because he criticized Herod’s illicit relationship with Herodias, his brother’s wife (Matthew 14: 312; Mark 6: 1729; Luke 3: 19-20). In fact, Herod Antipas was in awe of John. He assumed that John was a righteous and holy man. Herodias thought that John had gone too far in his criticism and that he should be punished for it. She uses her daughter Salome’s dancing ability to seduce Antipas, forcing him to kill John the Baptist. He was beheaded. Herod is later described as wondering whether Jesus might actually be John. That Jesus would be the risen John (Matthew 14: 12; Mark 6: 1416; Luke 9: 79).
The Fox
Jesus called Herod Antipas a fox. Some Pharisees went to Jesus to warn him that Herod wanted to kill them. The Pharisees said to Jesus, Go away from here, for Herod wants to kill you! Jesus answered: Say to that fox: Behold, I cast out demons, and today and tomorrow I heal people, and on the third day I will reach consummation. (Luke 13:31-32). The third day consummation refers to the resurrection of Jesus from the dead.
The trial of Jesus
When Jesus stood before Pontius Pilate to be sentenced, Pilate asked Jesus if he was from Galilee. When Jesus confirmed this, Pilate realized that he was under Herod’s authority. So he sent Jesus to Herod, who was staying in Jerusalem at the time. Herod was very happy to see Jesus, because he had wanted to meet him for a long time, because he had heard much about him. Moreover, he hoped to see him perform a miracle. He questioned him at length, but Jesus did not answer him once. So Herod sent him back to Pilate. On that day Herod and Pilate became friends, although they had always been enemies (Luke 23: 616).
The end of Herod Antipas
Antipas was a local ruler. He managed to function as ruler for about forty-three years. That’s a respectful time. He was never able to realize his lifelong dream of becoming king. He was suspected of conspiring against Emperor Gaius Caligula. As a sanction, his land and position were taken from him and he was exiled to the north side of the Pyrenees. His wife accompanied him into exile. He died there in France.
Herod Agrippa I
Herod Agrippa I lived from 10 BC to 44 AD. He is the son of another brother of Antipas named Aristobulus and Bernice. Agrippa I was the grandson of Herod the Great. He also received his education in Rome. In 37 AD he was appointed king of the northern part of the Jewish country by Emperor Caligula. When Emperor Caligula was murdered, Agrippa I was in Rome. He contributed to Claudius being elected emperor of Rome. Claudius rewarded him richly for this. In addition to being ruler of the northern areas of Israel, he now also became ruler of Judea, Samaria and Idumea. Furthermore, the Roman Senate granted him the dignity of consul. Thus, the empire of Herod the Great was united again by his grandson.
Herod Agrippa persecutes the apostles
In Acts 12 verse 1 he is called King Herod. This is the Herod who had the apostle James, the son of Zebedee, put to death. He also imprisoned the apostle Peter (Acts 12). After reigning for three years (AD 41-44), Agrippa I died suddenly and in great pain. This was described by both the Jewish historian Josephus and the evangelist Luke (Acts 12: 19b 23). Luke reports that this painful death is a punishment from God because he had allowed himself to be worshiped as a god.
At that time Herod was hostile to the inhabitants of Tire and Sidon. The two cities jointly sent several emissaries to the court, where they managed to win Blastus, the king’s chamberlain, to their cause. They wanted to make peace because their area depended on the king’s for food supplies. On the appointed day, Herod sat on his throne in his royal robes and addressed the people. The people shouted loudly: ‘Here speaks a god, not a man!’ Immediately Herod was struck down by an angel of the Lord for not rendering due honor to God, and, eaten by worms, he breathed his last. (Acts 12:20-23)
Herod Agrippa II
Herod Agrippa II was the son of Agrippa I. He lived from 27 to 92 AD. He also grew up in Rome. That’s where he was when his father died. In the opinion of the Roman court, he was not yet ready to take over his father’s rule. That is why the experienced procurator Cuspius Fadus was charged with the administration of the country. In 50 AD he was appointed successor to his father by Emperor Claudius. Following the example of his father, he was also an excellent builder. For example, he had a new theater built in Beirut. He also had numerous statues erected there. He expanded the capital Caesarea Philippi and gave it the name Neronias to honor the then emperor Nero.
Agrippa II meets Paul at Festus
Agrippa II was the ruler who listened to Paul when Paul was imprisoned by Festus in Caesarea. Porcius Festus was appointed procurator of Judea by Emperor Nero. He held this position from 60 to 62 AD. King Agrippa and Bernice went to Caesarea to visit Festus (Acts 25: 1326: 32). Bernice was Agrippa’s sister. It was well known that the relationship between Agrippa and Bernice was not purely one of brother and sister. Bernice’s temporary marriage to King Ptolemon of Cilicia also did not end the intimate relationship between brother and sister. During their stay, which lasted several days, Festus spoke with King Agrippa about the trial against Paul. Agrippa indicated that he would like to hear Paul himself. The next day Paul gave a speech to Agrippa and Bernice. In the speech, Paul praises Agrippa’s knowledge of Jewish religious practices.
Agrippa said to Paul, ,You may plead your case., Paul raised his hand and defended himself as follows: ‘I am happy, King Agrippa, that today I am able to defend myself in your presence against all the charges brought against me by the Jews, especially since you are so well informed from all their customs and disputes among themselves. (Acts 26:1-3)