Are There Two Herods in the Bible? 
If you are wondering if there were two herods in the Bible, you are not alone. In fact, there are two. One is Herod Antipas, and the other is Herod the Great. Let’s look at them and see what their role in the Bible was.
Herod Antipas
During his time, Herod Antipas was a powerful king. He established a new capital city called Tiberias in 17 CE, on top of a Jewish graveyard. However, his actions caused much unrest among his people. In addition, he tried to appeal to Jewish people by participating in Jewish national holidays, such as Passover. As a result, he was viewed as a dishonest fraud by many of his Jewish subjects. Moreover, Jesus also compared him to a fox, which is an animal that lacks any real power but is sneaky and dishonest.
Herod Antipas’ wives had a variety of personal relationships. One of his wives, Herodias, was a former Nabataean. This marriage alienated him from his Jewish subjects. Another scandal involved the imprisonment of John the Baptist. His daughter Salome begged Antipas to cut off John the Baptist’s head. Despite his objections, he nevertheless executed his son.
Interestingly, Jesus also referred to Herod Antipas as a fox. He had once tried to find Jesus, but failed to find him. Likewise, Herod also sought out John the Baptizer, who was a follower of Jesus. However, the former was paranoid that Jesus was John the Baptizer. Because of his paranoia, he continued his quest, only meeting Jesus at the trial in Jerusalem.
Herod Antipas was the seventh son of Herod the Great, and was the youngest of his siblings at the time of his father’s death. He was born c. eight or nine, and was probably educated in the imperial palace. However, his older brother, Philip, preferred to stay in Rome after his education.
Herod Antipas and Jesus in the Bible are important historical figures. Both men had important roles in Jewish history. Jesus and Antipas had a strong spiritual and political kingdom, and they both had substantial followings. Although they were not recognized as the Messiah, their followers still followed them as teachers and spiritual leaders. Herod Antipas, meanwhile, was a powerful king in Galilee and Peraea.
Herod Antipas longed to see Jesus. This desire to see Jesus came from hearing about him and the miracles he performed. The word “saw” is derived from the Greek word horao, which means see, behold, and examine. The Greek word horao also indicates that he was excited and ecstatic, and was eager to meet Jesus.
Herod the Great
Herod the Great is considered a major figure in the Bible, but how much is known about him? The Biblical narrative provides only a glimpse of his reign. There are many historical analyses of this ancient king, but none of them use the full range of available evidence. Most traditional historical analyses focus on Josephus’s account and emphasize Herod’s abuse of power. More recent studies, however, have begun to look beyond Josephus’s accounts and consider the larger political context of Herod’s reign.
Herod was an admirer of Roman culture and an ardent Hellenist. His projects included building a magnificent temple in Jerusalem. He also rebuilt the water supply and constructed his own palace in the city. In addition to these achievements, Herod supported the troubled Olympic Games and organized substantial relief programs during famines. Herod was also an influential Jewish leader, and he regarded himself as head of the Jews in the Roman Empire.
In 47 B.C.E., Antipater, the chief minister of Judea, ruled with Roman support and appointed Herod as governor of Galilee. However, Antipater was killed by poison in 43 B.C.E. and this may have been the catalyst behind Herod’s obsession with safety and security.
Herod was Jewish in origin, but he had some Hellenistic tendencies. His father was an Idumaean named Antipater, and his mother, Cypros, was an Arab princess of Petra and Nabatea. His family rubbed shoulders with Pompey and Cassius. In his final testament, he divided his kingdom among his sons.
Though some believe that Herod was a murderer, others have argued that he was a brilliant diplomat. As a result of his diplomatic skills, he managed to keep Judea semi-independent from Rome. Herod also used his wealth to rebuild the city of Jerusalem.
As a ruthless ruler, Herod had ten wives. All of these wives bore him sons. Herod’s palace was a hub of plotting and scheming. He became paranoid of his own family’s plans to seize power and reign supreme. He eventually killed three of his sons and his favorite wife’s mother. This ruthless ruler is also responsible for the massacre of all male children under two years old in Bethlehem.
Herod Agrippa II
Herod Agrippa II was the last ruler of the Herodian dynasty. His official name was Marcus Julius Agrippa, but his name is more often abbreviated to just “Agrippa.” Herod Agrippa ruled Judea and the surrounding territories, as a Roman client.
The son of Herod the Great and Agrippa I, Agrippa II was born in 27 or 28 CE. His father, Herod Agrippa, had dragged the family across the Middle East and Europe to escape their creditors. Agrippa’s descendants included Herod the Great, who is famous for trying to kill Jesus in the Slaughter of the Innocents.
Agrippa II’s reign ended with the destruction of the temple in Jerusalem. He was widely seen as one of the worst Herods in Jewish history. His policies of pleasing the Romans and his Hellenistic ways contributed to the disastrous Jewish Revolt of 66 C.E. However, in the Christian tradition, Agrippa is portrayed as a sympathetic hearer of the Christian message. In fact, Agrippa may have even acquitted the Apostle Paul.
Agrippa II inherited the kingdom of Chalcis when his father died in the year 48. He succeeded in having the post promised to him by the emperor. The emperor also appointed Agrippa as a high priest and appointed him as the governor of the larger tetrarchy in the east of Galilee. His first wife, Mariamne, was married to a Gentile prince and Drusilla was married to a Greek king. His nephew Herod the Great’s daughter, Drusilla, was married to Gaius Julius Azizus.
Although Agrippa’s age is unclear, it seems certain that he was over 70 years old when he was murdered by the Jews. This is not to say that Agrippa II did not support the Roman position, but he did support the Romans during the Jewish-Roman war and celebrated victories with a drunken feast. Ultimately, the war between the Jews and the Romans ended and Agrippa retired to Rome with his sister Berenice. The Jewish-Roman war died down around 93/94 CE.
Herod Agrippa II was the son of Agrippa I and was born in the year 28 BCE. He received an education in Rome and saw the court life that his father had not experienced. He reached adulthood at a time when his uncles Messalina and Agrippina were at the height of their public profligacy. His father wanted Agrippa to inherit the full inheritance of his estates but Agrippa refused. After his father’s death, Claudius made him king over the areas previously governed by Philip.
Herod Philip
Antipas, the son of Herod the Great, was the only member of his family to meet Jesus. His father and older brother Herod the Great, who lived close to Bethlehem, had spent years searching for the baby, but never actually met him. His brother Philip, however, lived close to the area where most of Jesus’ miracles occurred. Though the Bible doesn’t mention a meeting between Philip and Jesus, it’s believed that Antipas spent a year trying to do so.
Herod’s relationship with the Romans was not a good one. His wife Aretas had a broken marriage, and she decided to make war on her son-in-law, which led to Herod’s downfall. Herod also burned his Jewish critic, John, alive. He was also plagued by paranoia. His marriage with Aretas and Philip was not a good fit.
Although he wasn’t as flamboyant as his brothers, Philip had less extravagant habits and avoided long trips to Rome. Instead, he spent most of his time traveling throughout his territory and spending time with his subjects. He also married Salome, the daughter of Herodias, who later played a role in the execution of John the Baptist.
As the son of Herod the Tetrarch, his grandson was also a Roman citizen and went to school with his brother. As a result, he was in debt to Tiberius. Eventually, his uncle Antipas offered him a small post in Galilee, where he tutored his cousin Caligula’s son. Despite this, he did not allow Peter to meet Jesus.
As a man of evil, Herod had many enemies. His wife had two sons, and his brother was his rival. This was not a good way to go about ruling a country. Herod believed that he was above God, but he was far from a perfect man. And his dark side made him fearful of any potential rivals. After killing John the Baptist, Herod also put 46 members of the Sanhedrin to death, his mother-in-law, and his first wife. These actions made many Jewish people angry, and his father-in-law attacked his army. The Romans had to take him away for the rest of his life.
Antipas’ wife Herodias inherited many of the traits of her grandfather Antipas. Herodias couldn’t handle criticism and had a personal vendetta against John the Baptist. Herod Antipas did not want to kill John the Baptist, as his grandfather Antipas did. Antipas also knew that John was a holy man and enjoyed challenging conversations with him. In the end, both women were unable to kill John, but their actions haunted him for a long time after the events of the Passion of Christ.