Seminar 2 - The Birth of Jesus Christ
Lesson 5 - Herod the Great
Introduction
It is important for us to carefully study Herod’s life in order to
properly understand the events surrounding Christ’s birth,
specifically Herod’s cruel destruction of Bethlehem’s infants and why
it did not raise more of an uproar.
The life of Herod the Great goes beyond the pages of his personal
biography and ascends and descends his entire family tree. His
descendents go on to be the villains throughout the New Testament
story from John the Baptist to James, Peter and Paul. If the truth
were known perhaps the descendents of Herod’s family still persecute
the church to this day. Truly the sins of the parents are visited upon
the children in the Herodian story.
We must remember that bad guys can turn into good guys as illustrated
in God’s family tree. Just look at Jesus’ own ancestry - Jacob, Rahab,
Bathsheba, etc. Where sin abounds grace does much more abound. There
is no sin so gross, no evil so sinister, no morals so corrupt, no
vulgarity so low, no corruption so vile, no wickedness so depraved as
to be beyond the reach of the amazing grace of God. God so loved the
world that he sent his only son into the pit of poisonous vipers so
that he might rescue those wh ose hearts could never turn to him of
their own accord except for his intervention and grace.
List of the Herods
In our story of the Herods we shall fix our gaze on five of the
infamous Herods of New Testament history. - Herod Antipater -
The father of the clan
- Herod the Great - murderer of Bethlehem’s
children
- Herod the Tetrarch - who killed John the Baptist
- Herod Agrippa I - who killed James and imprisoned Peter
- Herod
Agrippa II - who heard Paul’s appeal and said "Almost you persuade me
to be a Christian.
It is worthwhile, if not essential, to have a clear view of the
character of each of these pseudo-monarchs for each plays an important
role in the maze of Gospel history without which one would be
confused, or at least oblivious to the connection of these characters
in the story of Jesus.
To understand how Herod fits into the historical melieu we need to
paint a background mural which requires that we take a few steps back
to see the broader picture. (If you have done the previous course on
the Intertestamental Period
you already have the paint and canvas.)
Background:
Antiochus Epiphanes (215-163 B.C.) attempted to eradicate the Jews and
their religion by entering into the temple and offering a pig as a
sacrifice on the altar of burnt offerings and placing a statue of Zeus
in the Temple.
Rather than annihilate the Jews he succeeded in infuriating a few
faithful zealots of which Mattathias was the forerunner who when
mandated to bow before the idol in his village refused and ran the
monarch’s representative through with a sword. Upon Mattathias’ death
his son Judas Maccabeus took up the sword becoming the "Zorro" of
Palestine.
The result of the ensuing thirty-year guerrilla war was victory for
the Maccabeans and a line of priest-kings known as the Hasmoneans.
Hasmonean was the name of Simon, last surviving descendent of Judas
Maccabeus.
Herod Antipater: (pronounced ant-TIP-pater)
Antipater, the first of the Herods, came to power due to the weak
leadership of the later Hasmaneans. The story is complex so hang onto
your eyeballs and try to keep all these names in focus. Here we go!
Herod was not a full Jew but an Idumaean, or half-Jew. Josephus,
the great Jewish historian,
considered him a full Idumaean. (Josephus, War I, 6,2, p123) Idumaea
was a southern province of Palistine. They were Edomites who had aided
Nebuchadnezzar in conquering the Jewish state. They came under the
prophetic gun of the Old Testament prophets. Edomites were descendants
of Esau while full-Jews were sons of Israel (i.e. Jacob) and
inheritors of Abraham’s covenant and blessings. (Zondervan, p250, Vol
5) Herod, however, considered himself a Jew because of the conquest of
Idumaea by the Hasmoneans in 165 B.C. and 126 B.C. respectively.
(Fausset p283)
Antipater was appointed governor of Idumaea (Josephus, Ant XIV. p 1:3,
10) and was noted by Josephus to be a man of great wealth. It all came
about after the death of Alexandra the Maccabean queen. Her eldest
son, Hyrcanus II, assumed the throne but because he was weak and never
really deserved the throne he gave up his throne to his brother
Aristobulus after only three months of ruling.
Antipater seized upon the weakness of Hycanus as a way to wedge
himself into power. He quickly convinced the weak Hyrcanus that he was
unjustly deprived of his throne and that he should flee to Arabia for
asylum and solicit the assistance of the king of Arabia. So he fled to
Petra.
Enter Rome, stage left. Rome by this time had conquered the east.
Pompey, the leading contender for the Roman throne, stepped in to
reinstate Hyrcanus since he felt that Aristobulus had evidenced
disloyalty to Rome. Pompey laid siege to Jerusalem for three months
and upon winning spared the temple and reinstated Hyrcanus as priest.
Jerusalem was made subject to Rome and forced to pay tribute. Herod
Antipater, behind the scenes, made himself useful to the Romans
fighting skirmishes and helping to bring Palestine under full Roman
rule.
About this time Antipater married a rich Arabian named Cypros by whom
he had four sons. Phasael, Herod, Joseph, Pheroras, and daughter
Salome. (Jos. Ant. XIV, 7, 3,121 War 1, 8,9,181)
In 48 B.C. Pompey was defeated by Julius Caesar in Egypt thus the
Roman Empire under Caesars was in an embryonic stage. In that battle
Herod Antipater risked his life for Julius Ceasar and for this was
made a Roman citizen exempt from taxes, and given the post of
procurator of Judea. Julius Caesar also gave Hyrcanus the appointment
of high priest and the title of "ethnarch" (ethnic king) of the Jews.
Herod Antipater assisted Hyrcanus all the while knowing him to be a
weak puppet king he placed his sons in charge of administrator Phasael
governor of Jerusalem and son Herod (the Great) as governor of Galilee
Herod became governor of Galilee at the age of twenty-five.
Chart of Herod's Descendents
HEROD THE GREAT
|
|
(his sons)
|
Archelaus Antipas Philip Aristobulus
Like his father Tetrarch Galilee Wife Herodias (Killed 7 BC)
____________ ____________ ____________ ____________
| | | |
| | | |
Judea & Samaria Galilee & Perea Iturea Not mentioned
| | | |
Matt 2:22 Luke 3:19-20 Luke 3:1 |
| Matt. 14:1-2 | |
| | | |
| | | |
Herod Agrippa
(Herodias, wife of Philip ____________
later married Antipas, which |
John the Baptist criticized Acts 12
and ultimately lost his head Killed James
over, which that was presented |
on a platter to Salome, Herodias' Herod Agrippa II
daughter as a reward for dancing ____________
well.) |
Acts 25:13-26:32
Paul spoke before
Herod the Great
The Struggle:
Herod the Great immediately endeared himself to the Romans and
Galileans by quickly capturing and executing Ezekias, a leading
bandit, and his followers. The execution broke Jewish law and those
Jews who suspected him of becoming too powerful demanded he be tried
before the Sanhedrin. Hyrcanus the high priest ordered him to trial.
Herod showed up for the trial, not as an accused but dressed as a king
in purple and attended by a bodyguard.
The Roman governor of Syria ordered Hycranus to release Herod or pay
the price, thus Herod was acquitted in a mock trial and fled to Syria
under the protection of Sextus Caesar. Sextus appointed him governor
of Coele-Syria. Sextus was murdered shortly thereafter by Julius
Caesar’s enemy Bassus. Herod’s father, Antipater, a friend of Caesar,
sent his two sons Herod and Phasael with armies to defeat Bassus,
which they did and continued in the region to collect taxes. (Remember
Cassius, Brutus, and friends murdered Julius Caesar - "Et tu Brute")
Now the ruler of Syria appointed Herod the Great as governor of Coele
Syria and promised to make him king of Judea.
The plot thickens! The Herod clan was growing in power. In the mayhem
that followed the assassination of Julius Caesar and subsequent
struggle of Augustus Caesar (Octavian). Antipater was murdered -
poisoned. Herod then avenged his father’s death by stabbing his
co-regent Malichus by whom the dastardly deed was done.
A successive line of political upheavals, minor wars, revolutions and
intrigues followed in which Herod was victorious thus endearing
himself to the people.
Herod was married to his first wife, Doris, and by her had a son,
Antipater. (not another one!) She was most likely an Idumaean, not a
full Jew. Herod became betrothed to a Jewess named Mariamne (try to
pronounce that one) who was granddaughter of Hyrcanus (how convenient)
and daughter of Aristobolus’ son Alexander and niece to Herod’s arch
enemy, Antigonus (appropriate name for an enemy). This strengthened
Herod’s claim to a throne - at least if married to Mariamne who would
have a blood tie to legitimate kingship.
More Intrigue: (What do you expect. It’s Roman times!)
After successfully defending himself against Jewish claims that he was
usurping Hyrcanus’ power, Anthony (of Anthony and Cleopatra) appointed
Herod tetrarch of Judea. (Can you smell a rat?) A tetrarch is a ruler
of a fourth part of a region.
Antigonus enlisted the Parthinians to invade Palestine which they did,
and made him king instead of Hyrcanus. Hyrcanus and Herod’s brother
Phasael were captured and put in chains while the illusive Herod
escaped to Masada, then Petra. Antigonus mutilated Hyrcanus thus
removing any possibility of him being again qualified a high priest.
(Now, why didn’t Herod think of that?) Brother Phasael was poisoned or
committed suicide. No one knows for sure. (Zondervan Vol. 3 p 130)
To make this complicated story a little shorter - Herod finally fled
to Rome where in 40 B.C. Anthony and Octavian with the Roman Senate
made him "king of the Jews." He promptly returned, with the help of
Roman armies, to Jerusalem to lay siege to it. He then proceeded to
Samaria where he married the beautiful Mariamne and returned to
declare himself legitimate king. Finally in 37 B.C. Jerusalem fell and
Herod won his long-awaited prize.
Herod’s problems were not over however. To prevent the Roman soldiers
from plundering Jerusalem and profaning the temple he offered each a
handsome reward from his own wealth, as well as a huge bribe to the
Roman general Sossius. Josephus reported that he also bribed to have
Antigonus carried away in chains and later beheaded.
About this time Herod began a series of murders that were to
characterize his reign and until his death. One of his first acts as
"king of the Jews" was to eliminate his opposition. In this case it
was the whole Sanhedrin (except two). Secondly he put to death
Hyrcanus, his wife’s grandfather. Thirdly, he had Mariamne herself put
to death. Fourthly, just four days before his death he ordered the
death of his eldest son Antipater. Fifthly, seized with a fatal and
painful disease of the stomach and bowels, he ordered that the nobles
be called together and locked in a great hippodrome to be murdered
upon his death to assure himself that the Jews would mourn his death.
(Fausset p 84)
Some of Herod’s Murders
- Malichus - by stabbing for poisoning Antipater, Herod’s father
- The 68 Sanhedrin
- 45 aristocrates of Jerusalem
- Antiochus - led away captive and axed at the bribe of Herod to the Romans
- Hyrcanus - grandfather of wife Mariamne
- Mariamne - executed because of Herod’s jealous rage.
- Soemus - executed for betraying to Mariamne that Herod ordered her killed if he did not return alive from his meeting with Octavius in Egypt.
- Alexander and Aristobulus - Mariamne’s two sons
- Antipater - his eldest son
- Children of Bethlehem under 2 yrs
- Attempted to murder all of nobles at his death
(This is by no means an exhaustive list. The treachery, death and
executions seemed non-stop.)
It was during this period of disease that the wise men showed up at
his doorstep to inquire of one born "King of the Jews." One can only
imagine the rage of jealous paranoia that must have besieged the heart
of one who spent a lifetime pursuing the title "King of the Jews." So
many murders, so much intrigue. He spared no one who assailed, or was
perceived as a threat or even a competitor for his throne.
It is not surprising that Herod secretly ordered the death of all
males in Bethlehem under two years of age. (Probably not more than a
handful of children compared to his other massacres!) Josephus does
not record the event so unworthy of note among so many atrocious
crimes. If he would kill his own beloved wife and first born child why
would he hesitate to kill babies in a small village?
Augustus Caesar (Octavian) upon hearing about Herod’s murder of his
own son said, "It would be better to be of Herod’s swine than his
sons." (It was a play on the Greek words swine, "hus" and son,
"huios".)
Eusebius, one of the early church fathers and early church historian,
records his observations concerning Herod’s sickness and death. We
quote it here in full.
"In this connection it is worthwhile to recall the price paid by Herod
for his crime against Christ and the other babies. Instantly, without
the shortest delay, divine justice overtook him while still alive,
giving him a foretaste of what awaited him in the next world. This is
not the place to list the ways in which he dimmed the supposed glories
of his reign by the successive calamities that befell his house, the
revolting murder of wife, children, and all who were bound to him by
the closest ties of blood and affection. No tragic drama is as dark as
their story, of which Josephus has given a full account in his
Histories. How, from the moment of the plot against our Saviour and
the other helpless infants, a scourge wielded by the hand of God
struck Herod and drove him to death, we should do well to hear from
the lips of that historian. In Jewish Antiquities Book XVII he
describes his terrible end in these words:
Herod’s sickness grew steadily worse as God exacted punishment for his
iniquities. He was consumed by a slow fire which gave no clear
indication to the touch of the burning heat that added so much to his
internal miseries. He had an overpowering desire for food, which it
was impossible to satisfy, ulceration of the intestines with agonizing
pains in the lower bowel, and a clammy transparent humour covering the
feet. The abdomen was in the same miserable state, and in the genitals
mortification set in, breeding worms. Breathing was constricted and
only possible when sitting upright, and it was most offensive because
of the heavy stench and feverish respiration. He suffered in every
part convulsions that were unbearably severe. Those who practiced
divination and had the gift of foretelling such things declared that
God was exactng a penalty from the king for his continual
wickedness."(2)
Such is the story as told by Josephus in the Antiquities. In Book II
of the Histories he gives a very similar account of Herod’s last days:
From then on the sickness spread through his entire body, accompanied
by a variety of painful symptoms. He had mild fever, and unbearable
itching all over his body, constant pains in the lower bowel,
swellings on the feet as in dropsy, inflammation of the abdomen, and
mortification of the genital, producing worms; as well as difficulty
in breathing, especially when lying down, and spasms in all his limbs.
The diviners said that his diseases were a punishment. But though he
was wrestling with so many disorders he hung on to life, hoped for
recovery, and planned his own treatment. He crossed the Jordan and
tried the hot baths at Callirrhoe, which empty their water into the
Dead Sea - water sweet enough to drink. The doctors there decided to
warm up his whole body with hot oil by lowering him into a bathful of
it, but he fainted and turned up his eyes as if in a faint. The noise
of his attendants beating their breasts brought him back to
consciousness; but having no further hope of recovery he ordered the
distribution of 50 drachmas a head to the soldiers, and large
gratuities to the officers and to his gentlemen.
By the time he arrived at Jericho on the return journey he was
melancholy-mad, and in a virtual challenge to death itself he
proceeded to devise a monstrous outrage. He brought together the most
eminent men of every village in the whole of Judaea and had them
locked up in the Hippodrome. Then he sent for his sister Salome and
her husband Alexas and said: ‘ I know the Jews will greet my death
with wild rejoicings; but I can be mourned on other people’s account
and make sure of a magnificent funeral if you will do as I tell you.
These men under guard: as soon as I die, kill them all - let loose the
soldiers amongst them; then all Judaea and every family will weep for
me willy-nilly’
Later he was so tormented by lack of food and a racking cough that his
sufferings mastered him and he made an effort to anticipate his
appointed end. He took an apple and asked for a knife, it being his
habit to cut up apples when he ate them; then looking round to make
sure there was no one to stop him he raised his hand to stab himself.
Josephus goes on to relate that just before he died Herod gave orders
for the execution of yet a third of his lawful sons in addition to the
two already executed, and that his life was instantly broken off, to
the accompaniment of agonizing pains. Such was the final end of Herod;
he paid a just penalty for the children he had put to death in
Bethlehem and its neighbourhood in his attempt against our Saviour.
(Eusebius, p23-25)
Herod’s death would have been calculated based on other secular
historical events in the Spring of 4 B.C. Therefore Jesus’ birth
would have been 5 or 6 B.C., not A.D. 1
|Herod's Death 4 B.C.
Jesus birth| |
6 B.C.| |
B.C. <---------------------------------------------------------> A.D.
10 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1|1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
B.C. | A.D.
Herod's Successes
Herod was not without merit and with such merits he tried to buy
himself into the favor of the Jews. Many were his illustrious
construction projects.
- He rebuilt the temple of Apollos at Rhodes,
which had been destroyed by fire. Josephus records this as perhaps his
greatest work.
- He built an amphitheater and a theater and
introduced heathen sporting events in honor of Caesar which took place
every fifth year in Jerusalem to the condemnation of the religious
right.
- He rebuilt Samaria and its temple and called it Augusta, in
honor of Augustus Caesar. He built other heathen temples, among them a
temple of white marble dedicated to Augustus Caesar. The Jews were so
disenfranchised with these despicable acts that men contrived to
assassinate him but were discovered by a spy and put to death. The spy
however was ripped to shreds my a mob in Jerusalem. Thereupon Herod
built the famous tower or fortress of Antonia, near the temple, to
intimidate the Jewish crowds.
- He succeeded in impressing many more
liberal Jews when in the 13th year of his reign he spent nearly all
resources to import grain from Egypt when severe famine struck the
land of Palestine.
- Probably the most famous of Herod’s works to
impress the people and gain their favor was the rebuilding of
Solomon’s temple to the extent that it rivaled Solomon’s original in
scale and beauty. (Fausset p 284) The actual construction began in 20
B.C. and was finished in a year and a h alf. The surrounding
buildings and additions continued to be made over a forty-six year
period. Calculate it yourself. Twenty years from 20 B.C. to A.D. 1,
subtract four years for the proper year of Christ’s birth, making it
16 years before Christ’s birth when construction began. Add thirty
years, the age of Jesus when the question was posed to him in John
2:20.
The title "Herod the Great" was given him in recognition of the
construction of the temple. Rabinic literature recorded, "He who has
not seen the Temple of Herod has never seen a beautiful building." We
will study the details of the temple in a later lesson.
(Zondervan Vol 3, p134)
Sources and Recommended Reading:
(It is not necessary to buy these books.)
Eusebius, The History of the Church, Penguin Books, 1989
Pictorial Encyclopedia of the Bible, Vol. 3, Merrill C. Tenney, editor, Zondervan, 1975
The Works of Josephus, translated by Wm Whiston, ch. XIV, XV, 1980
Andrew. R. Fausset, Bible Encyclopedia and Dictionary, Zondervan, Grand Rapids,
NIV Study Bible, Notes on Herod and Hasmoneans.
|