Jewish History

Notes on Herod the Great

Herod the Great (73 BC – 4 BC)

Client King under Romans (38 BC – 4 BC).

Introduction:  Background

Father – Antipater the Idumaean

Idumaeans

The Idumaeans were the descendants of the Edomites

Time of the Maccabees (140 – 130 BC)  John Hyrcanus made Idumeans convert to Judaism

Herodians culturally Hellenistic.

 

 

Herod appointed governor of Galilee by his father  in 48 BC

Father poisoned 43 BC

40 BC Antigonus with support of Parthians defeated Herod

Herod fled to Rome gained support of the Senate who declared him to be King of the Jews (38 BC).

37 BC Romans executed Antigonus. 

Herod reigned for 34 years.

Died in Jericho (4 BC)

 

 

 

1.  Building and trade projects

 

Herod brought employment through building and trade projects.

 

 

Building projects included

Rebuilt the Second Temple.

Water supplies to Jerusalem

Masada

Herodium

The Caesarea Maritima

 

 

Financial projects

Leased copper mines on Cyprus

Extracted Asphalt from Dead Sea.

Asphalt used for ship building.

 

 

 

 

 

2.  Herod’s Temple

18th year of Herods reign (c.19 BC) began to rebuild the Temple.

Main structure of the Temple rebuilt in one and a half years

Work on outer buildings and courts continued for another 80 years.

Provided mass employment

1000 priests employed as masons and carpenters

 

 

3.  Family

Married daughter of Antigonus, Mariamne. 

Banished his first wife Doris with their son, Antipater.

 

36 BC Herod appointed 17 year old brother in law as High Priest – Aristobulus III

 

Herod allowed no rivals and murdered members of his own family.

When the magi came from the east to find the One born King of the Jews, it was natural for Herod to scheme to murder anyone who might be a possible rival.

Bethlehem was a small town and so the number of children under 2 years old who were murdered after Jesus had been taken by His parents to Egypt was relatively small.

 

The descendants of Herod who were Kings

 

 

Family

 

 

Banished his first wife Doris with their son, Antipater.

                    

                     Herod the Great   +   Doris

                                                     |                         

                                     Antipater  (d. c.4 BC)

 

 

 

Herod then married the daughter of Antigonus, Mariamne. 

36 BC Herod appointed Aristobulus III as High Priest – he was the 17 year old brother of Mariamne.

 

 

Herod the Great    +   Mariamne I, d. 29 BC?, dt. of Alexandros

.

                                  |

  

————————————————————————————

           |                        |                                  |                                      |

  

Aristobulus       Alexander        Salampsio + Phasael                  Cypros

     d. 7 BC?           

 d. 7 BC?                         |                           m. Antipater(2)

   m. Berenice

                                            Cypros

           |

 

————————————————————————————————

 

           |                       |                       |                       |                              |

 

Mariamne III     Herod III         Herodias       Herod Agrippa      Aristobulus V

 

 m. her uncle    King of Chalcis      +              King of Judea (Acts 12)

   Archelaus ?                 m. 1. Herod II Boethus (her uncle)

                                            2. Herod Philip I  (her uncle)

                                            3. Herod Antipas (her uncle)

 

 

Herod the Great    +   Mariamne II, dt. of Simon the High-Priest. 

                              |      

     —————————————————     

                |                                |  

           Herod II                 Herod Philip I  

          Boethus

 

 

 

Herod the Great    +   Malthace (a Samaritan)

                                 |   

————————————————————————————————

            |                                            |                                      |

   Herod Antipas                        Archelaus                      Olympias  

       b. 20 BC?                        (Matthew 2:22)

 

Herod Antipas married Phasaelis the daughter of Aretas IV, King of Arabia.  He divorced her and married his niece Herodias. 

John the Baptist told Herod Antipas it was not lawful for him to marry Herodias because she was the wife of his half brother Philip (Mark 6:17). 

Mark 6:14-29

Herod Antipas beheaded John the Baptist after Salome the daughter of Herodias danced for him.