CHARACTER STUDY

Herod The Great

A Man of Purpose, Passion, and Failure

Setting: Band of Brothers Mens Fellowship

Length of Delivery: Three Lessons 30 minutes each

Name of Student: Neal Price

Student ID: L23200213
Class: NBST 521- B04
Instructors Name: Robert Matz, GTA
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Date Submitted: 03/07/2010

Table of Contents

Lesson Outlines 3

Lesson 1 Introduction and Rise to Power... 3

Lesson 2 Military and Infrastructure Advancements . 5

Lesson 3 Family Struggles and the End of Herod the Great .. 7

Transcript . 10

Lesson 1 Introduction and Rise to Power 10

Lesson 2 Military and Infrastructure Advancements .. 14

Lesson 3 Family Struggles and the End of Herod the Great ... 20

Bibliography ... 26
 3

Herod The Great Or Was He?

Not much is known from Scripture about Herod The Great. The only references that we
have concerning him are found in the birth of Christ narratives in Matthew and in Luke. Upon
hearing the claims from the Magi that they had come to worship the King of the Jews, he ordered
what has become known as the Massacre of the Innocents1. How could a king order the
murder of every male child ages 2 years and younger in a single city? Did the massacre
actually happen? If Herod ordered this mass murder who else were victims of his deranged
mental state? Over the next 3 lessons, we will examine the course of events that occurred during
Herod the Greats reign as king of the Jews that might have led him to such a drastic measure.

LESSON 1 Introduction and Rise to Power

I. Introduction - Herods reign was wrought with incredible triumphs and horrific failures.
In order to understand who he was as a person and as a king, we must first look at his
genealogy and his rise to power. Valuable clues to his mental state can be gathered from
a close examination of the early years of his life and reign.

II. Family History Herod the Great ultimately became the king of the Jews only after many
military campaigns in and around the land of Israel and alliances with people of power
within the Roman Empire. Although he was referred to as the king of the Jews, he was
actually only half-Jew. Herod was raised as an Idumean in the geographical area of the
Edomites whom the Jewish people, particularly the Pharisees, hated. The Edomites
refused Moses entry into their land en route to the Promised Land. The Idumeans had
formed alliances with the Arabs and even would have reunited with the Arabs had it not
been for Herods grandfather, Antipater I.2

A. Antipater I Herods grandfather and ruler of Idumea during the reign of the last of
the Hasmonean rulers, Janneus and his wife Alexander Salome. It is believed that
Antipater I was not an Idumean by blood. Many scholars believe that he was actually
from the Greek city-state, Ascalon.3
B. Antipater II Antipater II inherited the region of Idumea from his father. He married
a woman of Arabic origin named Cyprus. They had seven children of whom Herod
was one. Their children were half Jewish and half Arabic.4

III. Hasmonean Tensions Janneus two sons, Hyrcanus II and Aristobulus II, fought each
other to become king of Judea. Ultimately, Antipater, Herods father, became the ruler of
Judea with the assistance of the Roman Empire.

1
Craig L. Blomberg, Jesus and the Gospels (Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishing, 1997), 201.
Also named Slaughter of the Innocents.
2

Chester G. Hearn, Herod the Great The Years Before Christ (Baltimore: PublishAmerica,
2004), 6.
3

Ibid., 6.
4

Ibid., 6.
 4

A. Hyrcanus II Pompey, Roman ruler of the area, never made Hyrcanus king; however,
he was appointed as high priest.
B. Aristobulus II With Antipaters backing and assistance, Pompey had Aristobulus
killed.

IV. Herods Rise To Power Antipater II was influential in seeing to it that Herod and
Phasael, Herods brother, had a place of authority in Judea. Herod used relationships
with Rome and a considerable amount of money to gain his way to power.

A. Galilee Herod was given his first governorship in Galilee at the age of 25.
B. Capture of Jerusalem
C. End of the reign of the Hasmoneans and beginning of Herod the Greats reign over
the Jews
D. Relations with the Pharisees, Sadducees, and Essenes
E. Walking the political tightrope with Rome and Cleopatra in Egypt

V. Conclusion Herods family struggles started from before he was born. Many times, we
get caught in the trap of feeling as though we must fulfill our family destiny. If our father
was one way, we must follow through with that and use our family as a crutch. As men
raising our sons and daughters, we must not put on them the expectation that they must
follow in our footsteps. We need to be godly examples but show them that they need to
hear the voice of the Lord for themselves in regard to their ultimate calling in Christ.

Next week, we will study about the militaristic and infrastructure advancements by Herod
and show his greatness in the land of Israel.
 5

LESSON 2 Military and Infrastructure Advancements

I. Introduction Last week, we studied about Herod the Greats genealogy and discussed
how we as men must not place unrealistic expectations on our children. Herods
grandfather and father set him up for failure and didnt even know it. As maniacal as
Herod the Great was, he was equally as shrewd of a politician and administrator of his
regime. Herod was responsible for making improvements to buildings in the land of
Israel and even built entire cities and seaports to make the Jewish nation one of the most
influential in the world.

II. Military Strength Herods army fought for Herod and fought for Rome equally.
Samuel Rocca stated, it is the best-known example of an army of a client king of
Rome.5 The armys numbers varied throughout Herods regime.

A. Demographical makeup The majority of Herods army consisted of Jews, followed

by Greek citizens of the kingdom, Ituraeans and Nabataeans. His royal bodyguard
had contingencies from the Germans, Celts, and Thracians.
B. Roman Influence Since Herod made trips to Rome and ultimately tried to emulate
their administration, his army closely resembled the Roman military. In fact, several
key positions in his army were Roman or Italian officers.
C. Troop numbers At the beginning of his reign, Herod had 3,000 5,000 troops. The
numbers varied depending on the military campaign, but upon his death the total
number of troops was around 30,000 men.
D. Major Military Campaigns
i. The Initial Kingdom Conquest 40-37 BC
ii. The Siege of Jerusalem 37 BC
iii. The First Nabataean War 32-31 BC
iv. Arabian Expedition 25 BC
v. The Second Nabataean War 9 BC

III. Infrastructure Advancements Once the First Nabataean War concluded, Herod began to
voraciously build buildings and even entire cities to match the grandeur of the Greco-
Roman architecture that he had witnessed during his trips to Rome and Greece. His love
for Roman and Hellenistic architecture is evident in the many buildings that he built.

A. Herods Palaces Herod had two main palaces, one in Jerusalem and the other in
Masada near his ancestral home of Idumea.
B. Sebaste This was an ancient city that he rebuilt in honor of Augustus located in
Samaria.
C. Caesarea Caesarea was the main port in Israel that rivaled the port in Alexandria in
Egypt. The port was entirely man-made.
D. Herodium Herodium was a massive fortress built on top of a hill just to the south of
Jerusalem.
E. The Temple in Jerusalem Arguably, the Temple in Jerusalem was the grandest and
most controversial building project undertaken by Herod. He enraged the Jews by
5
Samuel Rocca, The Army of Herod the Great (Great Britain: Osprey Publishing, 2009), 3.
 6

tearing down the old Temple that Zerubbabel built some 500 years earlier. When the
Temple was complete a year and half after construction started, it rivaled the Temple
that Solomon had built. The Temple was dedicated in 18 BC. Ninety years after
construction began, the Temple Mount complex was completed.

IV. Conclusion As we have seen today, Herod really was a brilliant man with a great vision
for Israel. His vision was just clouded by self-promotion and pride. Proverbs 11:2 gives
us a very clear warning concerning pride. Herod should have heeded the voice of this
writing and been humble before the Lord. How many times have we as men had a vision
for our business or our place of work only to see it happen before our eyes? If we have
done it for self-promotion, it will leave an empty feeling in our guts and cause us to
realize that it is not what brings happiness. Only accomplishments that have been
breathed upon by the Holy Spirit will bring ultimate peace and contentment.

Next week, we will discuss the end of Herod the Great, and his ultimate destruction.
There is a lot to be learned from Herod that we can use in our daily lives.
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LESSON 3 Family Struggles and the End of Herod the Great

I. Introduction Herod was every bit as power-hungry and murderous as his father. From
the very beginning of his life, he was thrust down a path that destroyed everything in his
way either real or perceived. Herod the Great had ten wives, some of whom were
banished, some murdered, and others he simply divorced. From those wives, he sired
some 15 children. These wives and children proved to be the internal dismantling of his
reign as king of Israel. Through deception and plots of murder, the turmoil proved too
much for Herod. He died a deranged old man that drifted in and out of lucidity until his
death in 4 BC.

A. Ten Wives The most information about his wives comes from the first five. These
wives were responsible for giving birth to the possible heirs to the throne. Each wife
believed that her child deserved the throne and plotted against each other in every
way possible to see that their child ruled.

A. Doris Before being divorced and banished from the kingdom, she gave
birth to Herods first son, Antipater III.
B. Mariamne I Mariamne was the most loved by Herod. He was captured by
her beauty and loved her dearly. Through conspiracies against her from
Herods sister, Salome, Mariamne I was executed. She gave Herod two
possible heirs, Alexander and Aristobulus.
C. Malthace the Samaritan She gave birth to another two possible heirs,
Archelaus and Herod Antipas.
D. Mariamne II Mariamne II gave birth to Herod II.
E. Cleopatra of Jerusalem She was not related to Cleopatra of Egypt. She
gave Herod his best possible heir, Herod Philip.

B. Seven Possible Heirs All seven of Herods heirs were sent to Rome at some point to
live with Caesar Augustus to be educated and possibly selected as the heir to Herods
throne. The first four sons fell victim to the internal battle for the throne and suffered
under Herods paranoia-induced stupors.

A. Antipater III Just before Herods death, Herod had Antipater killed upon
suspicion that he plotted to poison Herod to gain the throne. Salome who
had the kings ear and in whom the king trusted completely supplied this
false information. The death of Antipater III caused Caesar Augustus to
state the infamous, It is better to be Herods pig than his son.6
B. Alexander He was executed in 7 BC along with his brother, Aristobolus,
upon suspicion of trying to kill the king in order to obtain his throne.
C. Aristobolus Aristobolus and his brother, Alexander, were sons of the
beloved Mariamne I who Herod regretted having executed. He would have
given them the throne had it not been for the meddling ways of Salome.
D. Herod II Herod II proved to be inept and was banished from the kingdom.
E. Archelaus Herod the Great bequeathed to Archelaus in his fourth and final
6
Hearn, Herod the Great The Years Before Christ, 76.
 8

will the areas of Judea, Samaria, and Idumea. He was ultimately banished
from the kingdom in 6 AD.
F. Antipas II or Herod Antipas Antipas was made the tetrarch of Galilee and
Perea, an area of Israel to the east of the River Jordan. Antipas was
ultimately banished from the kingdom in 39 AD.
G. Herod Philip Philip was the most effective ruler of the sons who Herod
made subsequent rulers of his kingdom. He was declared the tetrarch of
Gaulanitis, Batanea, Trachonitis, and Auranitis. He died in 34 AD thus
ending the Herodian dynasty.

II. The Massacre of the Innocents and the End of Herod the Great

A. Massacre of the Innocents The writer, Matthew, tells us a story in chapter 2 of his
gospel of wise men or Magi from the East coming to worship the king of the Jews.
This infuriated Herod as he was convinced that he was the messiah that would
ultimately free the Jewish people from Roman rule. When the Magi left his presence,
he ordered all male children aged 2 and under in the town of Bethlehem be killed.
There are no other historical documents that make reference to this decree by Herod.
There could be several reasons for this omission by the historians of the time. One of
which, and possibly the most popular reason, would be the small number of children
that it involved. Bethlehem was a very small town, and the number of male children
aged 2 and under would have probably only numbered 20.7 In light of Herods failing
mental state brought on by years of murderous rampages and illnesses that racked his
body, this event may have paled in comparison to his outlandish attacks on the people
closest to him.
B. The End of Herod the Great There is no accurate data to pinpoint the exact date of
Herods death; however, based on the information that historians do have, it is safe to
estimate that Herod died in 4 BC at the age of 69 or 70. Right before his death, he
attempted suicide after a failed attempt by the Palestinians to overthrow is kingdom.
Herod was a very sick man and suffered from a number of horrific and painful
illnesses during the last years of his life.8 He was buried after a very grand funeral
procession in a tomb of his choosing in his prized fortress, Herodium.

III. Lessons Learned From Herod The Great

A. The old adage Keep your friends close and your enemies closer proved not to be
true for Herod the Great. His enemies were too close, and he didnt even know it.
His own family played each other and schemed to get either to inherit his throne or
see to it that the person they wanted inherit it. His many wives plotted against him.
His sister plotted against his wives and his descendants. There were banishments,
murders, lies, and rumors that surrounded the decision of succession. Many times,
those closest to us tend to be the ones that can plot and scheme our downfall if we are
not wise to the ways of the enemy. We must have a discerning heart when it comes

7
Blomberg, Jesus and the Gospels, 201.
8

Paul L. Maier, Eusebius The Church History (Grand Rapids: Kregel Publications, 2007), 39.
 9

to who we allow to counsel us and help us make life-changing decisions. The pride
that Herod had kept him from listening to the right voices.
B. Perowne gives us some wise advice at the end of his book. He states that Herod was
so bent on advancement of his kingdom and so wrapped up in who was going to
inherit his throne that he completely missed the times that he was in. 9 Being
convinced that he was the Messiah caused him to react in rage when someone dared
to say that he was not. If we cannot discern our season, we will miss the opportunity
in the season. The opportunity of a lifetime only lasts for the lifetime of the
opportunity. He had the opportunity to usher in the new dispensation when Christ
came. He could have bowed his knee in worship. Instead, he reacted in rage and
completely missed it. We must get past our pride and arrogance and humble
ourselves before the King of kings and welcome him into our lives. Those who are
humbled will be exalted (James 4:10).

9
Stewart Perowne, The Life and Times of Herod the Great (Great Britain: JH Haynes & Co.
Ltd, 2003), 179-180.
 10

Herod The Great Or Was He?

Herod the Great is quite possibly one of the most hated figures in the entire Bible. His

actions at the announcement of the birth of Jesus were nothing short of evil; however, not much

is known from Scripture about this evil man. The only references that we have concerning him

are found in the birth of Christ narratives in Matthew and in Luke. Upon hearing the claims

from the Magi that they had come to worship the King of the Jews, he ordered what has become

known as the Massacre of the Innocents10. How could a king order the murder of every male

child ages 2 years and younger in a single city? Did the massacre actually happen? If Herod

ordered this mass murder who else were victims of his deranged mental state? Over the next 3

lessons, we will examine the course of events that occurred during Herod the Greats reign as

king of the Jews that might have led him to such a drastic measure. We will also look at lessons

that we as men can learn from Herod and answer the obvious question of why such an evil man

was referred to as great.

LESSON 1 Introduction and Rise to Power

Herods reign was wrought with incredible triumphs and horrific failures. In order to

understand who he was as a person and as a king, we must first look at his genealogy and his rise

to power. Valuable clues to his deranged mental state can be gathered from a close examination

of the early years of his life and reign as king of Israel.

Herod the Great ultimately became the king of the Jews only after many military

campaigns in and around the land of Israel and after alliances were formed with people of power

within the Roman Empire. Although he was referred to as the king of the Jews, he was

actually only half-Jew. Herod was raised as an Idumean in the geographical area of the

10
Craig L. Blomberg, Jesus and the Gospels (Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishing, 1997), 201.
Also named Slaughter of the Innocents.
 11

Edomites whom the Jewish people, particularly the Pharisees, hated. The Edomites refused

Moses entry into their land en route to the Promised Land. The Idumeans had formed alliances

with the Arabs and even would have reunited with the Arabs had it not been for Herods

grandfather, Anitpater I.11

Antipater I was ruler of Idumea, the area south of Judea, during the end of the reign of

the Hasmonean rulers, Janneus and his wife Alexander Salome. It is believed that Antipater I

was not an Idumean by blood. Many scholars believe that he was actually from the Greek city-

state, Ascalon. Antipater II inherited the region of Idumea from his father. He married a woman

of Arabic origin named Cyprus. They had seven children of whom Herod was one. Their

children were half Jewish and half Arabic which caused Herod much trouble with the Jews once

he became ruler over the land of Israel.12

Herod had to deal with many seasons of tensions with the Hasmoneans. The

Hasmoneans, or Maccabeans, were a group of people who had risen against the Selucid Empire

of the time. The Selucids sought to end traditional Judaism by encouraging the spread of

Hellenism. Hellenism was the Greek influence on the Jewish religion, which allowed for

relaxation of the traditional Mosaic laws.13 Alexander Jannaeus was one of the final rulers of the

Maccabean era. He had strained relations with the Pharisees of the day, which seemed to only

worsen when they disagreed with the way he carried out some of the traditions of the Feast of

Tabernacles.14 Two of Jannaeus sons, Hyrcanus II and Aristobulus II, fought each other to

11
Chester G. Hearn, Herod the Great The Years Before Christ (Baltimore: PublishAmerica, 2004), 6.

12
Ibid.

13
J. Julius Scott, Jr., Jewish Backgrounds of the New Testament (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic,
1995), 82.

14
Scott, Jr., Jewish Backgrounds of the New Testament, 87.
 12

become king of Judea. Ultimately, Antipater II, Herods father, became the ruler of Judea with

the assistance of the Roman Empire. Pompey, Roman ruler of the area, never made Hyrcanus

king; however, he was appointed as high priest. With Antipaters backing and assistance,

Pompey had Aristobulus II killed. Once Herod became king of Israel, he had Antigonus, the last

of Aristobulus sons, executed; thus ending the Hasmonean dynasty.15

Antipater II was influential in seeing to it that Herod and Phasael, Herods brother, had

a place of authority in Judea. Herod used relationships with Rome and a considerable amount of

money to gain his way to power. Herod was given his first governorship in Galilee at the age of

25 and was named the stategos.16 Herod captured Jerusalem with the assistance of his military

that he had gained while reigning in Galilee. He attacked the city and overthrew Antigonus from

power. At the conquest of Jerusalem, Herod became the king over all of Israel.

When Herod took control, he was immediately made aware of enemies all around him.

First and foremost was the religious crowd. He remembered how the Sanhedrin had tried to have

him executed some 10 years earlier when he was governor of Galilee, so he immediately rounded

them up and had 45 of them arrested and killed. He then replaced them with people of his own

choosing and removed their judicial duties.17

The Sadducees were another religious group that were sharply opposed to Herod. They

were very angry with him for his fathers role in ending the Hasmonean dynasty. They were also

open to the Hellenistic views of the Greeks and accepting of their more liberal takes on moral

issues. Herod would have befriended them, but they could not accept an Idumean as their king.18
15
Ibid., 89.

16
Duane W. Roller, The Building Program of Herod the Great (Los Angeles: University of California
Press, 1998), I.

17
Hearn, Herod the Great The Years Before Christ, 20.

18
Hearn, Herod the Great The Years Before Christ, 20.
 13

Next in the list of religious opposition for Herod were the Pharisees. They were the

poorer of the two sects. They were much more religious in their approach to keeping the Mosaic

laws and resisted Hellenism; however, they were appealing to Herod due to their opposition to

the religious practices of the Hasmoneans. It is said that Herod became a friend to the Pharisees

but a terror to the Sadducees.19

The third religious group of the Jews was the Essenes. The Essenes were a very small

sect of Jews that lived in the area of limestone cliffs on the shore of the Dead Sea. The Essenes

were the most spiritual of the groups and the least worldly. They lived an almost monastic

lifestyle. Herod was most impressed by the Essenes piety and strict adherence to Judaism.20

Not only were the religious groups a tremendous bother to Herod the Great, but he also

found himself in a strange triangle of political games between Antony and Cleopatra in the

Roman Empire. It is well known that Cleopatra and Antony were locked in a heated affair.

Antony was so under Cleopatras spell that he began giving vast portions of territory around

Israel to her. Herod had to keep good relations with Antony in Rome in order to remain in power

as a client-king. To make matters worse, Herods mother-in-law by his first wife hated him but

was in good relations with Cleopatra. The two women tormented Herod by plotting against him

and began the paranoia that would haunt Herod until the end of his days.

In 33 AD, the political landscape in the Roman Empire began to get dicey. Octavian

was the ruler in the Western region while Antony controlled the East. The two men were

ultimately caught in a battle with Herod caught in the middle. He would ultimately align himself

19
Ibid., 21-22.

20
Stewart Perowne, The Life and Times of Herod the Great (Great Britain: JH Haynes & Co.
Ltd, 2003), 105.
 14

with whoever came out the winner. He was shrewd and knew how to play the game. Herod was

overjoyed at the news that Antony and Cleopatra had committed suicide. Herod visited Octavian

to solidify his relationship and was officially installed as a client monarch and a friend and ally

of the Roman people. Ultimately, it meant that he had become the emperors servant, but he

didnt care, and Rome didnt care as long as everyone stayed happy and behaved as they

should.21

The introduction of the family struggles that Herod experienced with his mother-in-law

were only the beginning of his troubles. Really, Herods family struggles started from before he

was born. Many times, we get caught in the trap of feeling as though we must fulfill our family

destiny. If our father was one way, we must follow through with that and use our family as a

crutch. We say things like, My dad was a drug addict, so I guess I dont have a shot. Or we

might think, My grandfather was raised in the projects, so this is where I belong. As men

raising our sons and daughters, we must not put on them the expectation that they must follow in

our footsteps. We need to be godly examples but show them that they need to hear the voice of

the Lord for themselves in regard to their ultimate calling in Christ. Next week, we will study

about the militaristic and infrastructure advancements by Herod and show his greatness in the

land of Israel.

LESSON 2 Military and Infrastructure Advancements

Last week, we studied Herod the Greats genealogy and discussed how we as men must

not place unrealistic expectations on our children. Herods grandfather and father set him up for

failure and didnt even know it. We must pass the torch of belief in Jesus Christ to the next

generation and empower them to reach their full potential as Christ-followers. As men, we are

natural mentors. The next generation is looking to us to lead them. Herod dropped the ball with
21
Hearn, Herod the Great The Years Before Christ, 34.
 15

his kids just as his grandfather and father did before him. They were so power-hungry and

prideful that they missed valuable opportunities to raise him in the fear and admonition of the

Lord.

Herod the Great had the reputation of being an evil, hate-filled man; however, as

maniacal as Herod the Great was, he was equally as shrewd of a politician and administrator of

his regime. Herod was responsible for making improvements to buildings in the land of Israel

and even built entire cities and seaports to make the Jewish nation one of the most influential in

the world.

Herods army fought for Herod and fought for Rome equally. Samuel Rocca stated,

it is the best-known example of an army of a client king of Rome.22 The armys numbers

varied throughout Herods regime. The majority of Herods army consisted of Jews, followed by

Greek citizens of the kingdom, Ituraeans and Nabataeans. His royal bodyguard had

contingencies from the Germans, Celts, and Thracians.23 Since Herod made trips to Rome and

ultimately tried to emulate their administration, his army closely resembled the Roman military.

In fact, several key positions in his army were Roman or Italian officers. At the beginning of his

reign, Herod had 3,000 5,000 troops. The numbers varied depending on the military campaign,

but upon his death the total number of troops was around 30,000 men.24

Herods thirst for power led him into several major military campaigns. Well take a

look at the most important ones. First was the Initial Kingdom Conquest of 40-37 BC. Herod

had worked his way into the good graces of Rome with Antony and Caesar Octavian. He was

declared ruler of Judea in 40 BC; however, he had to deal with Antigonus, the last Hasmonean
22
Samuel Rocca, The Army of Herod the Great (Great Britain: Osprey Publishing, 2009), 3.

23
Perowne, The Life and Times of Herod the Great, 105.
24

Rocca, The Army of Herod the Great, 13.

 16

ruler, who had been placed in power by the Parthians. He first marched into Galilee to secure the

area with his band of mostly Jewish soldiers. He sent his brother, Joseph, to Idumea with a small

group to secure that area. After a small counter-insurgency in Galilee, he then set his sights on

securing Jerusalem; but Antigonus was not going to relinquish that city without a major fight.

After a siege against the city that lasted over 55 days, the city finally fell. Herod played his

political card during the campaign and complained to Antony about the reckless behavior of the

Roman soldiers and gained some popularity with the Jews for his stand. Antigonus was sent to

Antony and was beheaded. Herod now had control of all of Galilee, Judea, and Idumea.25

The next major offensive on Herods agenda was against the Nabataeans in what is

referred to as the First Nabataean War that lasted from 32-31 BC. This war was an all-out

political game Herod played with the strained tensions between Octavian, Antony, and Cleopatra

in Egypt. Cleopatra desperately wanted this land due to the Spice Road that brought her and

her kingdom great wealth. Antony was locked in a battle with the Nabataeans, so Herod decided

to assist. During the heat of the offensive a massive earthquake hit Judea, and thousands were

killed. King Herod took this time to reorganize his troops and go back to battle. Through many

political maneuvers and military campaigns, Herod came out the victor and left Cleopatra to lick

her wounds. Again, Herod had played his political cards right and remained in good standing

with Rome.26

During the period of relative peace after the First Nabataean War, Herod joined forces

with Rome in the expedition into the Arabian Peninsula. Rome wanted to occupy the land in

order to take advantage of the lucrative spice trade. Herod was there happy to assist, but things

25
Ibid., 24-35.

26
Rocca, The Army of Herod the Great, 35-38.
 17

did not go so well for him at first. Augustus (Octavian) became very angry with him due to

some political maneuvers that Herod had pulled regarding the Nabataeans, but Herod was able to

restore his relationship. Rome was unable to capture the Arabian Peninsula, and Herod returned

to Judea to enjoy a time of peace and prosperity; however, peace was not to last long.27

The Second Nabataean War began in 9 BC toward the end of Herod the Greats reign.

This war was surrounded by the common political games that Herod had become so adept at

playing with Rome. Through a series of miscommunications - whether intentional or not - Herod

come out a victor both militarily and diplomatically and remained in good graces with Rome.

He was the consummate client-king and did everything he could to remain that way.28

Once the First Nabataean War concluded, Herod began to voraciously build buildings

and even entire cities to match the grandeur of the Greco-Roman architecture that he had

witnessed during his trips to Rome and Greece. His love for Roman and Hellenistic architecture

is evident in the many buildings that he had designed and constructed.

Herod had two main palaces, one in Jerusalem and the other in Masada near his

ancestral home of Idumea. His palace in Jerusalem was quite grand, to say the least. It had

gardens, pavilions, spacious rooms and suites. It was decorated in a lavish style with gold,

marble, and other adornments. It was in the western end of the city. Herod also gave a nod to

the Roman and Greek empires in that he named certain sections of the palace after their rulers.29

Herod set his sites on the ancient city of Samaria. He rebuilt it to make it the

showplace of the kingdom. Once work began on the city reconstruction, he named it Sebaste

after Augustus. At the center of the city was the Temple of Augustus with elaborate dcor and

27
Ibid., 38-39.

28
Ibid., 39-41.
29
Roller, The Building Program of Herod the Great, 176.
 18

design. To this day, parts of what is believed to be the gymnasium of the city remains. Herod

installed hydraulic systems for the movement of water in the city. He broke many barriers with

the city of Sebaste. The Temple of Augustus was the first temple built in his honor, and it was

the first temple built in the same manner as the temples of Italy in the west.30

Caesarea was another city that was built upon the remains of a previously destroyed

city. Caesarea was at the north end of Herods kingdom and was the only major port in Israel. It

was built on the site of the Hellenistic town of Stratons Tower. There was no port there before

construction began. By the time Herod was finished, he had constructed 2 major breakwaters to

create a formidable man-made port. It became the largest port in the eastern portion of the

Roman Empire. The city of Caesarea included city walls, a palace for Herod, bronze statues, and

ornate buildings. Herod even had installed a self-flushing sewer system in the city.31

Herodium, or Herodeion, was a massive fortress built to commemorate the victory

Herod achieved over the Hasmoneans at the beginning of his reign in 40 BC. He basically

leveled a hilltop to the south and east of Jerusalem and built a fortress there with a marble

staircase to the summit of the hill. Not much is known about Herodium during Herods reign,

but it is believed to be the site of the final resting place of King Herod the Great.32

Arguably, the Temple in Jerusalem was the grandest and most controversial building

project undertaken by Herod. He enraged the Jews by tearing down the old Temple that

Zerubbabel built some 500 years earlier because they did not believe him when he said that he

would rebuild it. The religious crowd did not trust his word at all. When the Temple was

complete a year and half after construction started, it rivaled the Temple that Solomon had built.

30
Ibid., 209-212.

31
Ibid., 133-144.
32
Roller, The Building Program of Herod the Great, 164-165.
 19

It was much larger and much more complicated in its design and dcor. It took 10,000 laborers

working non-stop to complete the sanctuary. The Temple was dedicated in 18 BC. Ninety years

after construction began, the 30 acre Temple Mount complex was completed.33

As we have seen today, Herod really was a brilliant man with a great vision for Israel

and himself. His vision was just clouded by self-promotion and pride. Proverbs 11:2 gives us a

very clear warning concerning pride. Herod should have heeded the voice of this writing and

been humble before the Lord. How many times have we as men had a vision for our business or

our place of work only to see it be fulfilled before our eyes? If we have done it for self-

promotion, it will leave an empty feeling in our guts and cause us to realize that it is not what

brings happiness. Only accomplishments that have been breathed upon by the Holy Spirit will

bring ultimate peace and contentment. Next week, we will discuss the end of Herod the Great,

and his ultimate destruction. There is a lot to be learned from Herod that we can use in our daily

lives.

LESSON 3 Family Struggles and the End of Herod the Great

In the last two lessons, we have discussed Herod the Great in depth to see if we can

figure out why he reacted to the news of the birth of Christ in such an irrational way. We have

looked at his family history and where he came from to see if there were clues there. We also

examined his political regime to see if that could have been a factor in his deranged state of

mind. All of these areas of examination brought things to light that made us understand a little

bit more about this man of mystery from the Bible.

Herod the Great was every bit as power-hungry and murderous as his father. From the
33
Hearn, Herod the Great The Years Before Christ, 42-43.
 20

very beginning of his life, he was thrust down a path that destroyed everything in his way

either real or perceived. Herod the Great had ten wives, some of whom were banished, some

murdered, and others he simply divorced. From those wives, he sired some 15 children. These

wives and children proved to be the internal dismantling of his reign as king of Israel. Through

deception and plots of murder, the turmoil proved too much for Herod. He died a deranged old

man that drifted in and out of lucidity until his death in 4 BC.

The most information about his wives comes from the first five. These wives were

responsible for giving birth to the possible heirs to the throne. Each wife believed that her child

deserved the throne and plotted against each other in every way possible to see that their child

ruled.

The first wife that Herod married was Doris. She was probably of Idumean decent.

The Jews disapproved of divorce, so Herod banished her and her son, Antipater III, from the

kingdom, and only allowed them to return on festival days.34

Mariamne I was the most loved by Herod. He was captured by her beauty and loved

her dearly. Mariamne was the granddaughter of Hyrcanus, the once high priest of the

Hasmonean dynasty. Herod believed that his marriage to Mariamne I would make the Jews

more accepting of him and heal the rift between him and the remaining Hasmoneans, but he was

badly mistaken.35 Through conspiracies against her from Herods sister, Salome, Mariamne I

was executed. Herod suffered greatly from the execution of his beloved Mariamne. He was so

distraught from her death that he suffered a lengthy nervous breakdown, breaking out in boils all

over his upper body. He also experienced hallucinations thinking that Mariamne was beckoning

him from the hallway. Herod went on a killing rampage when he recovered by killing Mariamne

34
Hearn, Herod the Great The Years Before Christ, 11.
35
Perowne, The Life and Times of Herod the Great, 52.
 21

Is mother, Alexander, and his sister Salomes husband.36 Before her execution, Mariamne I

gave Herod two possible heirs, Alexander and Aristobulus.

Not much is known about Herods third wife, Malthace the Samaritan, except that

Malthace gave birth to another two possible heirs, Archelaus and Herod Antipas.

Mariamne II, Herods fourth wife, gave birth to Herods sixth son, Herod II. Herod

chose her father, Simon, to be the new high priest, which proved to be a cunning political

maneuver by Herod. Simon was from the lineage that established the Sadduccean sect. The

once loyal Pharisees now did not appreciate him so much, but Herod was only interested in the

more sophisticated aristocracy of the Sadducees. Cleopatra of Jerusalem, no relation to Cleopatra

of Egypt, gave Herod his best possible heir, Herod Philip. 37

All seven of Herods heirs were sent to Rome at some point to live with Caesar

Augustus to be educated and possibly selected as the heir to Herods throne. The first four sons

fell victim to the internal battle for the throne and suffered under Herods paranoia-induced

stupors.

Just before Herods death, Herod had Antipater III killed upon suspicion that he plotted

to poison Herod to gain the throne. Salome who had the kings ear and in whom the king trusted

completely supplied this false information. She hated Antipaters mother, Doris. The death of

Antipater III caused Caesar Augustus to state the infamous, It is better to be Herods pig than

his son.38 Alexander was executed in 7 BC along with his brother, Aristobolus, upon suspicion

of trying to kill the king in order to obtain his throne.

Aristobolus and his brother, Alexander, were sons of the beloved Mariamne I who

36
Hearn, Herod the Great The Years Before Christ, 35-36.

37
Ibid., 49-50.
38
Hearn, Herod the Great The Years Before Christ, 76.
 22

Herod regretted having executed. Herod would have given them the throne had it not been for

the meddling ways of Salome. Herod II, son of Mariamne II proved to be inept and was

banished from the kingdom.

Herod wrote four wills to determine who would rule his kingdom upon his death. Due

to the endless fighting amongst his family members, he had to change his will after the execution

of banishment of his sons. The wills all had to be approved by Rome. Herods fourth and final

will bequeathed to Archelaus, son of Malthace the Samaritan, areas of Judea, Samaria, and

Idumea. He was ultimately banished from the kingdom in 6 AD after Herods death. Antipas II,

or Herod Antipas, was made the tetrarch of Galilee and Perea, an area of Israel to the east of the

River Jordan. Herod Antipas was responsible for beheading John the Baptist in Matthew 14 and

Mark 6. He was also the King Herod mentioned in the Passion narrative of Luke 23, because

Jesus was from the land of Galilee. Pontius Pilate sent Jesus to Herod Antipas, but Antipas was

only interested in seeing Jesus perform an outward miracle and sent him back to Pilate after he

had him tortured. Antipas was ultimately banished from the kingdom in 39 AD.

Philip was the most effective ruler of the Herods sons. He was declared the tetrarch of

Gaulanitis, Batanea, Trachonitis, and Auranitis. Philip was married to Herodias who danced for

the head of John the Baptist as told in Matthew 14 and Mark 6. Philip was known for his desire

for justice and as a builder.39 He was also responsible for building Caesarea Philippi, which is

the location of Peters confession that Jesus was the Christ, the Son of the living God in

Matthew 16. Philip died in 34 AD thus ending the Herodian dynasty.

The gospel writer, Matthew, tells us a story in chapter 2 of his gospel of wise men or

Magi from the East coming to worship the king of the Jews. This infuriated Herod as he was

39
Trent C. Butler, Holman New Testament Commentary Luke (Nashville: Broadman & Holman
Publishers, 2000), 46.
 23

convinced that he was the messiah that would ultimately free the Jewish people from Roman

rule. When the Magi left his presence, he ordered all male children aged 2 and under in the town

of Bethlehem be killed. There are no other historical documents that make reference to this

decree by Herod. There could be several reasons for this omission by the historians of the time.

One of which, and possibly the most popular reason, would be the small number of children that

it involved. Bethlehem was a very small town, and the number of male children aged 2 and

under would have probably only numbered 20.40 In light of Herods failing mental state brought

on by years of murderous rampages and illnesses that racked his body, this event may have paled

in comparison to his horrific and outlandish attacks on the people closest to him.

There is no accurate data to pinpoint the exact date of Herods death; however, based

on the information that historians do have, it is safe to estimate that Herod died in 4 BC at the

age of 69 or 70. Right before his death, he attempted suicide after a failed attempt by the

Palestinians to overthrow is kingdom. Herod was a very sick man and suffered from a number of

horrific and painful illnesses during the last years of his life. Eusebius quoted Josephus account

of Herods physical state just before his death. He stated,

the disease spread throughout his body with fever, an unbearable itching
everywhere, continual pain in the colon, edema in the feet, inflammation of the
abdomen, and gangrene in the wormy genitals. His breathing was difficult, especially
if he lay down, and spasms shook each limb-a punishment, according to the diviners.
Still he clung to life and planned his own treatment in hope of recovery. He crossed the
Jordan and took the hot baths at Callirhoe that flow into the Dead Sea but are sweet and
potable. The doctors there decided to warm his body by lowering him into a tub of hot
oil, but he fainted, turning up his eyes as if dying. Noise from his attendants beating
their breasts revived him, but he now gave up hope of recovery and ordered that fifty
drachmas be given each of his soldiers and large sums to his officers and friends.
Returning to Jericho in extreme depression, he planned a final, monstrous crime.
He assembled the most eminent men from every village in all Judea and had them
locked inside the hippodrome. Then he told his sister Salome and her husband, Alexas:
I know the Jews will celebrate my death with rejoicing, but I can be mourned for the
sake of others and have a splendid funeral if you do as I direct. Surround the men (in
40
Blomberg, Jesus and the Gospels, 201.
 24

the hippodrome) with soldiers, and the moment I die, kill them all quickly, so that all
Judea and every house will weep over me
Later, tortured by hunger and a convulsive cough, he tried to anticipate his fate.
He took an apple and asked for a knife-he cut up apples when he ate them-and then
raised his right hand to stab himself (but was prevented).41

King Herod the Great was buried after a very grand funeral procession in a tomb of his

choosing in his prized fortress, Herodium.

The old adage, Keep your friends close and your enemies closer, proved not to be

effective for Herod the Great. His enemies were too close, and he didnt even know it. His own

family fought against each other through rumors and lies. They schemed to get to either inherit

his throne or see to it that the person they wanted did inherit it. His many wives plotted against

him. His sister Salome plotted against his wives and descendants. There were banishments,

murders, lies, and rumors that surrounded the decision of succession. It was a bloodbath rivaled

only in comparison to the most horrific soap opera storylines.

Many times, those closest to us tend to be the ones that can plot and scheme our

downfall if we are not wise to the ways of the enemy. We must have a discerning heart when it

comes to who we allow to counsel us and help us make life-changing decisions. Our own family

and closest friends can give us advice that could send us down paths of destruction that were

never intended for us to travel. Herods pride kept him from listening to the right voices.

Perowne gives us some wise advice at the end of his book. He states that Herod was so

bent on advancement of his kingdom and so wrapped up in who was going to inherit his throne

that he completely missed the times that he was in.42 Being convinced that he was the messiah

caused him to react in rage when someone dared to say that he was not. If we cannot discern our

season, we will miss the opportunity in the season. The opportunity of a lifetime only lasts for

41
Paul L. Maier, Eusebius The Church History (Grand Rapids: Kregel Publications, 2007), 39-40.
42
Perowne, The Life and Times of Herod the Great, 179-180.
 25

the lifetime of that opportunity. He had the opportunity to usher in the new dispensation when

Christ came. He could have bowed his knee in worship. Instead, he reacted in rage and

completely missed it. We must get past our pride and arrogance and humble ourselves before the

King of kings and welcome Him into our lives. Those who are humbled will be exalted (James

4:10).
 26

Bibliography

Blomberg, Craig L. Jesus and the Gospels. Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishing, 1997.

Butler, Trent C. Holman New Testament Commentary Luke. Nashville: Broadman & Holman
Publishers, 2000.

Hearn, Chester G. Herod the Great The Years Before Christ. Baltimore: PublishAmerica,
2004.

Maier, Paul L. Eusebius The Church History. Grand Rapids: Kregel Publications, 2007.

Perowne, Stewart. The Life and Times of Herod the Great. Great Britain: JH Haynes & Co.
Ltd, 2003.

Rocca, Samuel. The Army of Herod the Great. Great Britain: Osprey Publishing, 2009.

Roller, Duane W. The Building Program of Herod the Great. Los Angeles: University of
California Press, 1998.

Scott Jr., J. Julius. Jewish Backgrounds of the New Testament. Grand Rapids: Baker Academic,
2009.