What Happened to King Herod in the Bible

What Happened to King Herod in the Bible?

The Bible reveals a number of different things about King Herod. You can learn about Herod’s final testament, his relationship with Sextus Caesar, and His sons’ succession. You can also discover why Herod’s firstborn was killed. In this article, we will take a closer look at this intriguing and important character. It is important to understand all of the details of this biblical figure’s life and time.

Herod’s final testament

Herod was an evil man. He had a violent personality and was prone to insanity. His family was full of intrigue and Herod’s sister, Salome, took advantage of their natural suspicions and arranged for Herod to kill his mother and two sons. As a result, Herod killed his own mother, his brother, and his father’s mother, as well as the sons of his second wife, Mariamne.

Herod had a son named Antipater, who had the same cruel disposition as his father. He would have been a threat to the Lord. Antipater was the oldest son and complained that Herod’s life was dragging on. When Herod died, Antipater took the throne for himself.

Herod married Doris in 47 BC. Her family had been from Jerusalem. Doris bore Herod’s first son, Antipater, who was named after his father. Afterward, Herod married Antigonus’ niece, Mariamne, when he took over Judea. The marriage was a political maneuver to legitimize his ascension to power.

Some scholars dispute the date of Herod’s death. Some scholars believe that he died in 4 B.C. while others place it much earlier. According to historian Emil Schurer, the date is actually four B.C., but some scholars believe the date may be closer to 1 B.C., which would place the death of Herod at around the same time as Jesus’ birth. In any case, the date of Herod’s death is still uncertain, but we do know that he was killed before Passover, the Jewish War, and the lunar eclipse in March.

The Greeks had a terrible view of the Jews, and Herod desperately tried to reconcile them with the Greek culture. To achieve this, Herod had them built the port of Caesarea Palaestinae, an engineering marvel. It had an artificial harbor and concrete breakwaters, and was adorned with pagan temples. In addition, the port also featured gladiator fights every five years.

His relationship with Sextus Caesar

King Herod’s relationship with Sextuses Caesar was complicated. The father-son relationship was very difficult, and the two had many quarrels. Herod’s sons sided with their father, and his daughter sided with his son-in-law. The two were later able to reconcile, but there were still some issues.

First of all, Herod had to contend with the Pharisees, who were against him. Moreover, he had to maintain the obedience of his people. To do that, he punished those who opposed him, and rewarded those who sided with him.

Sextus Caesar made Herod the governor of Coele-Syria, and he began to be involved in the affairs of the Roman empire in Syria. Later, he began to march against Jerusalem to exact revenge on Hyrcanus, but was persuaded to stop when his father and brother pleaded with him to restrain from violence.

Herod had been in a depressive period over Mariamne, but soon recovered. He had regained his kingdom from Antigonus, and his domestic life was not at peace. Herod’s relationship with his niece, Mariamne, was not good. She was jealous of her brother-in-law, Soemus, and he was not a fan of him.

King Herod’s relationship with Sextuses Caesar was not a pleasant one. His eldest son, Philip, was imprisoned and killed by Antipater, while his youngest son, Antipas, remained loyal to his father. Antipater, too, aimed to gain power in Judea.

Herod made several trips to Rome during his reign. He helped the Jews in Cyrene and Anatolia, and he waived the taxes on a quarter of Judaea’s people. He also rewrote his will to make Antipater the first heir. In his will, Herod feared his sons would threaten him. He took them to Aquileia. Augustus reconciled them and Antipater was chosen as his successor.

His sons’ succession

The succession of King Herod’s sons was complicated. The dynasty had to be approved by the Roman emperor, Caesar Augustus, prior to the king’s death. As a result, the sons of Herod had disagreements and fought over who would rule. Caesar Augustus eventually split the kingdom into two parts, according to Herod’s wishes. However, he refused to grant Archaelaus the title of “king.”

Herod cultivated a close relationship with Sextus Caesar, the acting Roman governor of Syria. This connection helped Herod avert the repercussions of drought in his country. He also reduced taxes by a third. In addition, he opened a palace in Jerusalem and named it Antonia in honor of a Roman patron. He also built a strategic fortress called Herodian to guard the southern approaches to Jerusalem.

Herod had several wives. His first wife, Doris, was Jewish, and her family was from Jerusalem. She bore Herod’s first son, Antipater. His second wife, Antigonus II’s niece, Mariamne, was from the Hasmonean family. Nevertheless, she was a purely political decision to legitimize Herod’s ascension.

Herod’s sons’ succession in biblical history is largely determined by his father’s will. His first son, Antipater, is named king. His other two sons, Antipas and Philip, are named tetrarchs. Herod probably dies in March. The Roman emperor Augustus divides Herod’s kingdom among his sons, but does not recognize Antipater as king.

In his later years, Herod’s sons inherited their father’s kingdom and were able to build his palaces and sanctuaries. Herod also had a close relationship with Antony, the ringleader of Julius Caesar’s assassination. Herod sided with the losing side in the Antony’s civil war, which was also involving Cleopatra. After Antony’s suicide, Herod threw himself on Octavian. In 30 B.C.E., his sons ruled parts of the Judean kingdom.

His murder of his firstborn

King Herod was a notoriously cruel ruler. He liked to call himself the Great and would destroy anyone who opposed his rule. He had a reputation for brutality and even murdered members of his own family. But when he murdered his firstborn, it sparked a religious backlash against him.

During his long reign, Herod had many wives. His first wife, Mariamne, was possibly an Idumean, and she was the mother of Herod’s son, Antipater. After her death, Herod had many more wives. One of his most famous was Doris of Jerusalem, who is believed to have been a slave. In addition to Mariamne, Herod had 15 children with her.

Herod’s murder of his firstborn son was a precursor to his own demise. In 40 B.C.E., the Roman Senate crowned him “King of the Jews.” He returned to Judea and enacted a series of cruel policies toward the people. He killed his brother-in-law, Aristobulus III, because he thought the Romans would favor him as ruler of Judea. Herod also killed his wife Mariamme and two of his sons. Then he killed his own son Antipater, five days before his own death.

After the murder of his firstborn, King Herod tried to regain his power. He bribed the ruler of the region to get rid of his opponents. In response, Herod’s opponents sent a large delegation to Rome. However, the Romans dispersed the delegation in bloodshed.

Although Herod was a failure as a family man, he was an accomplished ruler. He demonstrated his skill as a politician, fundraiser, and military leader. He established his own palace in Jerusalem, named Antonia in honor of his Roman patron. He also rebuilt the fortified city of Macherus east of the Dead Sea. During his reign, he also killed his firstborn son, John the Baptist. Herod also restored the ancient fortress Alexandrium, north of Jericho, and revived the Hyrcania citadel northeast of Jerusalem.

His relationship with his eldest brother Phaesael

King Herod’s relationship with his oldest brother Phaesael was tense from the start. His position was compromised when the Romans came to Judea. His Hasmonean dynasty family resented Roman rule and he had many enemies. His second marriage was a political one and the new wife, Mariamne, did not get along with Herod. She was often heard speaking back to Herod and the relationship between them was strained. The relationship extended to his mother and sister Salome. The two were even rumored to be in love with Mark Antony.

While Herod was king of Israel, rebellion erupted in the second half of his life. An organization tried to remove an eagle from the Second Temple, a Roman symbol. Herod put an end to the rebellion by executing those involved. It released tensions that were brewing, as was the expectation of his death.

Phaesael’s father, Antipater, was a prominent and wealthy Jewish aristocrat of Edomite descent. His mother, Princess Phaesael, was a Nabatean princess. The two brothers grew up in separate kingdoms. After Antipater died, Phaesael became the governor of Jerusalem. Meanwhile, Herod served as governor of Galilee. When the Romans overtook the Hasmonean kingdom, in 63 B.C., they forced the Hasmoneans to submit to Roman rule.

While Israel never got over the sacking by Edom, they were very good at holding grudges. This relationship with the Israelites helps illuminate the nature of the relationship between the two families. The relationship between the Herod family and Israel is also reflected in the bloodline. Antipater’s family embraced Judaism, but they were viewed with caution by the Jews.