THE HEROD CLAN
AS SEEN IN THE NEW TESTAMENT
AS SEEN IN
THE NEW TESTAMENT
JAN LILLEBY
I FOUND IT INTRIGUING TO MAKE REVIEWs OF THE CLAN IN ISRAEL WHO ALL SERVED ROMES’ INTERRESTS, AS THEY ALL ARE MENTIONED IN THE NEW TESTAMENT BOOKS. WELL, ALLMOST ALL. PHILIP IS NOT, BUT THAT WAS BECAUSE HE DID NOT DO SO MUCH EVIL AS HIS TWO BROTHERS.
HEROD THE GREAT - told in Matthew 2.
Emperor was Caesar Augustus
The only Judean king who tried to have Jesus killed – in 1 BC. He failed, and instead he killed innocent children around Bethlehem, and fulfilled thus the prophecy of the ‘Ramah outcry’….
"A VOICE WAS HEARD IN RAMAH, WEEPING AND GREAT MOURNING, RACHEL WEEPING FOR HER CHILDREN; AND SHE REFUSED * TO BE COMFORTED, BECAUSE THEY WERE NO MORE." See Jer. 31:15.
The wicked king was born in 72 BC historians says. And he died in Jericho stricken with unbearable pains and agony. (My speculation: Can he have been judged by an angel of God, just as the judgement against Agrippa I in 44 CE, reported in Acts 12:23, the wicked king eaten by intestine worms?). I shall come back to this, as I end this review with Agrippa II….
It follows – by sound reasoning – that God had him taken down, by intervening. Read what the angel said to Joseph, Mat. 2:13-15, NASB,
13 Now when they had gone, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, "Get up! Take the Child and His mother and flee to Egypt, and remain there until I tell you; for Herod is going to search for the Child to destroy Him."
14 So Joseph got up and took the Child and His mother while it was still night, and left for Egypt.
15 He remained there until the death of Herod. This was to fulfill what had been spoken by the Lord through the prophet: "OUT OF EGYPT I CALLED MY SON." (My emphasize)
What if Joseph and Mary had to stay exiled – say – for 10 years; until Herod eventually died of disease or was exiled by Roman authorities, or otherwise? No my friends, God would not allow for such a disturbance in the life of the Holy Family.
Herod was destined to die at the hand of God – so we may hold to what most historians thinks, that they returned to Israel a couple years later, in 2 or 3 CE. Jesus would have been around 5-6 years old.
Joseph was still very shook up of the hatred of Herod the Great, so he dared not settle in Bethlehem when Herod’s son Archelaus took his father’s throne. God had His angel once again speak to Joseph, so he may avoid Judea. They went to live in Nazareth, where the youngest son of Herod presided, Philip. He was a man of mild temper and treated people with respect. His rule included Iturea, Trachonitis, Batanea, Gaulanitis (Golan Hills), Auranitis and Paneas.
Nazareth was in the Gaulanitis-district, which was the southern part of Golan Hills, or Galilee, as they said in Aramaic. In our time the town is the largest in this northern part of Israel. Iturea was the northernmost district, in which we find Mt. Hermon. Its 2800 meter peaks can be seen from far off. There is a skiing resort with alpine hills established at Hermon in modern times. King Philip, the Tetrarch, could view the tops from his fortress in Caesarea Philippi, which was the capitol city then.
Wikipedia clip on Herod the Great:
“The relationship between Herod and Augustus demonstrates the fragile politics of a deified Emperor and a King who ruled over the Jewish people and their holy lands. As they interacted, Herod's desire to satisfy both the Jewish and non-Jewish people of his kingdom had to be balanced with satisfying Augustus' aim to spread the culture, architecture and values of Rome throughout his empire. The sway of Augustus and the Roman Empire on the policy led to the use of Romanized construction throughout Herod's Kingdom. An example of Herod's architectural expansion of Judea in devotion to Rome can be seen with the third temple he commissioned, the Augustium, a temple dedicated to Augustus.”
HEROD ARCHELAUS, son of Herod the Great.
King of Samaria, Judea and Idumea.
Emperors: Caesar Augustus, and Tiberius (14-37 CE).
He was thus an Ethnarch, ruling three districts. He ruled for nine years – and included also the cities of Caesarea and Jaffa.
He was dismissed from this as Emperor Augustus formed the Province of Judea under direct Roman rule. It happened as Quirinius held the Consensus. Judea was ruled by a Prefect until 41 CE. Among whom Pontius Pilate was one, from 26 to 36 CE, - which means he was the ruler when Jesus was executed on the cross – in a conspiracy – to which Pilate held himself as innocent. The Jews were taking the blame for His death. Peter placed the responsibility for the death of Jesus upon the Jews, Acts 2:23 - …this Man, delivered over by the predetermined plan and foreknowledge of God, you nailed to a cross by the hands of godless men and put Him to death.
Although Archelaus's brief reign, like his father's longer one, was characterized by unrest and oppression, he also inherited his father's passion for building. Archelaus restored the royal palace in Jericho, and he founded a settlement in the Jordan Valley named after himself: Archelais.
Archelaus died in 18 CE. In a small place called Vienne in Golan Hills.
HEROD ANTIPAS, son of Herod the Great.
Emperors: Augustus, Tiberius, and Caligula (37-41 CE).
He was a tetrarch of Galilee and Perea. And he ruled from his father’s death until 39 CE, when he was deposed and exiled.
His evil deed to be noticed before any other ‘deed’ – shall have to remain the sad execution of John the Baptist by beheading.
The grievous story I chose from Mark 6:17-29, NASB,
“17 For Herod himself had sent and had John arrested and bound in prison on account of Herodias, the wife of his brother Philip, because he had married her.
18 For John had been saying to Herod, "It is not lawful for you to have your brother's wife."
19 Herodias had a grudge against him and wanted to put him to death and could not do so;
20 or Herod was afraid of John, knowing that he was a righteous and holy man, and he kept him safe. And when he heard him, he was very perplexed; but he used to enjoy listening to him.
21 A strategic day came when Herod on his birthday gave a banquet for his lords and military commanders and the leading men of Galilee;
22 and when the daughter of Herodias (Salome, my remark)- herself came in and danced, she pleased Herod and his dinner guests; and the king said to the girl, "Ask me for whatever * you want and I will give it to you."
23And he swore to her, "Whatever * you ask of me, I will give it to you; up to half of my kingdom."
24 And she went out and said to her mother, "What shall I ask for?" And she said, "The head of John the Baptist." (Image: Caravaggio’s painting of John’s head, London version)
25 Immediately she came in a hurry to the king and asked, saying, "I want you to give me at once the head of John the Baptist on a platter."
26 And although the king was very sorry, yet because of his oaths and because of his dinner guests, he was unwilling * to refuse her.
27 Immediately the king sent an executioner and commanded him to bring back his head. And he went and had him beheaded in the prison,
28 and brought his head on a platter, and gave it to the girl; and the girl gave it to her mother.
29 When his disciples heard about this, they came and took away his body and laid it in a tomb.”
Herod Antipas should have broken his oath, shouldn’t he?
He was exiled to Gaul together with his wife, and his date of death is unknown. As is his tomb.
PHILIP THE TETRARCH, son of Herod the Great.
Emperors: Augustus, Tiberius (14-37 CE).
He was not having Herod as his first name, like his two brothers.
Philip ruled territories which the Gospel of Luke lists as Iturea and Trachonitis and Flavius Josephus lists as Gaulanitis, Trachonitis and Paneas as well as Batanea, Trachonitis, Auranitis and "a certain part of what is called the House of Zenodorus". The city of Caesarea Philippi served as the capital of his tetrarchy.
The Holy Family went to live in Nazareth, which was in lower part of Gaulanitis, - or in Aramaic: Galilee. Joseph was urged by God’s angel in a dream to go there, avoiding Judea and Herod Archelaus.
Philip was the kindest and most ‘anonymously’ of Herod’s sons. Sure, he knew how to rule, but he loved not the sword or excessive use of power. He died in 34 CE.
I give you a short clip from Britannica website, finishing Philip’s story here,
“Philip was less extravagant a ruler than any of his brothers. He avoided prolonged trips to Rome, instead traveling extensively in his territory and devoting his time to his subjects. Late in his reign he married Salome the daughter of Herodias, who was her mother’s tool in securing from Herod Antipas the execution of John the Baptist.”
HEROD AGRIPPA I, son of Aristobulus IV, grandson of Herod the Great.
Emperors: Caligula, Claudius (41-54 CE).
Born 11 CE, ruled as the last king of Judea in 41 – 44 CE. Only three years.
It was him who executed James by the sword, in Passover 44 CE, and also cast in jail Peter. Referred in Acts 12 – we also find Herod getting himself killed by an angel of God, since he robbed God’s honor for himself when the public applauded his public speech.
Acts. 12:20-23, NASB, - in the days of the apostles, you better not go fooling around with the Lord,
“20 Now he was very angry with the people of Tyre and Sidon; and with one accord they came to him, and having won over Blastus the king's chamberlain *, they were asking for peace, because their country was fed by the king's country.
21 On an appointed day Herod, having put on his royal apparel, took his seat on the rostrum and began delivering an address to them.
22 The people kept crying out, "The voice of a god and not of a man!"
23 And immediately an angel of the Lord struck him because * he did not give God the glory, and he was eaten by worms and died.”
Agrippa I made a real dramatically and frightening exit from this life!
He was eaten up by intestinal worms caused by Gods angel appearing. (I mentioned my theory above, regarding Herod the Great, that he might have been taken out by same kind of punishment).
But before his terrible exit – he had managed to be a support for Claudius to become Caesar after the assassination of Caligula in 41 CE. Thus he was rewarded by Claudius to be king of Idumea, Judea and Samaria. It was (my theory only) therefore Agrippa I was acting so brutally and bragging in Jerusalem as seen in Acts 12, killing and arresting whomever he wanted, and no court to make judgement. He did these things because it pleased the Jews, says Acts 12:1-4.
From Wikipedia I have this clip:
“After the assassination of Caligula, he played a leading role in Rome in the accession of Claudius to the head of the empire in 41, and he was endowed with the former territories of Herod Archelaus (Idumea, Judea and Samaria) thus ruling over a territory as vast as the kingdom of Herod the Great.”
HEROD AGRIPPA II, son of Agrippa I.
Emperor: Claudius, Nero (54-68 CE).
I would like to use a clip from Wikipedia, which sums it very nicely up, - he had the fortunate destiny to meet the apostle Paul, due to the fact of Paul’s appealing his case before the Emperor, - and Agrippa II even admitted that he was very close to become a Christian (Acts 26:28). Could it be that Agrippa II got saved by faith in Christ?
Before Wikipedia facts: Let me throw in an interesting side remark, on why we suddenly (!) find a Herod-clan king who stood out from the others regarding morale and polite manners. Agrippa II was not like his father!
Here’s my theory: Agrippa II was only a teenager (17) when his father, the evil Agrippa I was executed by God’s angel in 44 CE. The young boy MUST have learned of this incident, pretty detailed…that of a sudden ‘explosion’ of intestinal worms killing his old man, and all. It is not improbable that the boy took extra notice of this sudden death (Agrippa I was born in 11 CE, thus only 33 years when he died in 44 CE).
But there is more to this: I can’t help poking my ‘police nose’ into this matter, and then it occurs to me: The young boy Agrippa II probably had heard also of the miserable demise of Herod the Great, dying in great pain in Jericho not long after he had bid his soldiers to kill the innocent boy children around Bethlehem. Thus Agrippa II had to consider these sorrowful memories of sudden-death cases in his forefathers’ lives! It had to rip scars and marks in a young boy’s fragile mind learning of such horrors. Both his Great grandfather’s death as well as his father’s death.
No wonder Agrippa II, hearing Paul’s defense in Acts 26, 59-60 CE as an adult around 33-34 years of age (He was born 27-28 CE according to historians) took intense notice of his message. Paul was preaching of the very same man, Jesus, whom his Great grandfather had tried to kill when he was just a little child! We have to do some intelligent reasoning when trying to fully understand these people and their actions, back in the antique times.
When his father, Agrippa I was killed by God’s angel casting a super-natural ‘spell’ upon him for arrogance before God – seen in Acts 12:23 – and thus immediate death under unspeakable horrors and pains – he was only 17 and it must have come as a brutal SHOCK pounding into Agrippa IIs young mind!
He had learned to pay attention to the Gospel message, and the true God, and to show some respect when the name of Jesus came up!
He might have been saved later on. He died in 93 CE at the age of 66 years. He escaped the Jewish War and got out of Israel in time.
It is reported of Agrippa,
“In 53, Agrippa was forced to give up the tetrarchy of Chalcis, but in exchange Claudius made him ruler with the title of king over the territories previously governed by Philip—Iturea, Trachonitis, Batanea, Gaulanitis, Auranitis and Paneas—as well as the kingdom of Lysanias in Abila.[6][7][8] The tetrarchy of Chalcis was subsequently in 57 given to his cousin Aristobulus (Acts 25:13; 26:2,7). Agrippa celebrated by marrying off his two sisters Mariamne and Drusilla. Josephus, the Jewish historian, repeats the gossip that Agrippa lived in an incestuous relationship with his sister Berenice.
In 55, the Emperor Nero added to Agrippa's realm the cities of Tiberias and Taricheae in Galilee, and Livias (Iulias), with 14 villages near it, in Peraea. It was before Agrippa and Berenice that, according to the New Testament, Paul the Apostle pleaded his case at Caesarea Maritima, probably in 59 or 60 (Acts 26).”
I want to end the list of the Herod clan’s leaders, by giving you Paul’s full Defense speech before Herod Agrippa II and Festus, in Acts 26, NASB,
ACTS 26, NASB,
“1 Agrippa said to Paul, "You are permitted to speak for yourself." Then Paul stretched out his hand and proceeded to make his defense:
2 In regard to all the things of which I am accused by the Jews, I consider myself fortunate, King Agrippa, that I am about to make my defense before you today;
3 especially because you are an expert in all customs and questions among the Jews; therefore I beg you to listen to me patiently.
4 So then, all Jews know my manner of life from my youth up, which from the beginning was spent among my own nation and at Jerusalem;
5 since they have known about me for a long time, if they are willing to testify, that I lived as a Pharisee according to the strictest sect of our religion.
6 "And now I am standing trial for the hope of the promise made by God to our fathers;
7 the promise to which our twelve tribes hope to attain, as they earnestly * serve God night and day. And for this hope, O King, I am being accused by Jews.
8 "Why is it considered incredible among you people if God does raise the dead?
9 So then, I thought to myself that I had to do many things hostile to the name of Jesus of Nazareth.
10 "And this is just what I did in Jerusalem; not only * did I lock up many of the saints in prisons, having received authority from the chief priests, but also when they were being put to death I cast my vote against them.
11 "And as I punished them often in all the synagogues, I tried to force them to blaspheme; and being furiously enraged at them, I kept pursuing them even to foreign cities.
12 "While so engaged as I was journeying to Damascus with the authority and commission of the chief priests,
13 at midday *, O King, I saw on the way a light from heaven, brighter than the sun, shining all around me and those who were journeying with me.
14 "And when we had all fallen to the ground, I heard a voice saying to me in the Hebrew dialect, 'Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me? It is hard for you to kick against the goads.'
15 "And I said, 'Who are You, Lord?' And the Lord said, 'I am Jesus whom you are persecuting.
16 But get up and stand on your feet; for this purpose I have appeared to you, to appoint you a minister and a witness not only to the things which you have seen, but also to the things in which I will appear to you;
17 rescuing you from the Jewish people and from the Gentiles, to whom I am sending you,
18 to open their eyes so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the dominion of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who have been sanctified by faith in Me.'
19 "So, King Agrippa, I did not prove disobedient to the heavenly vision,
20 but kept declaring both to those of Damascus first, and also at Jerusalem and then throughout all the region of Judea, and even to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God, performing deeds appropriate to repentance.
21 "For this reason some Jews seized me in the temple and tried to put me to death.
22 "So, having obtained help from God, I stand to this day testifying both to small and great, stating nothing but what the Prophets and Moses said was going to take place;
23 that the Christ was to suffer, and that by reason of His resurrection from the dead He would be the first to proclaim light both to the Jewish people and to the Gentiles."
24 While Paul was saying this in his defense, Festus said in a loud voice, "Paul, you are out of your mind! Your great learning is driving you mad."
25 But Paul said, "I am not out of my mind, most excellent Festus, but I utter words of sober truth.
26 "For the king knows about these matters, and I speak to him also with confidence, since I am persuaded that none * of these things escape his notice; for this has not been done in a corner.
27 "King Agrippa, do you believe the Prophets? I know that you do."
28 Agrippa replied to Paul, "In a short time you will persuade me to become a Christian."
29 And Paul said, "I would wish to God, that whether in a short or long time, not only you, but also all who hear me this day, might become such as I am, except for these chains."
30 The king stood up and the governor and Bernice, and those who were sitting with them,
31 and when they had gone aside, they began talking to one another, saying, "This man is not doing anything worthy of death or imprisonment."
32 And Agrippa said to Festus, "This man might have been set free if he had not appealed to Caesar."
Had only Agrippa IIs predecessors been like him, things would have looked much brighter for the nation of Israel during the times of the apostles!
But they were much like villains, paranoia-stricken maniacs, brutal killers and tyrants, lovers of the glory from men, estranged from God. In addition to this, they were obviously Rome’s mighty henchmen. But Agrippa II seem to come out of it in a whole different manner, he seems distanced from the dark mindsets we find with his predecessors. Philip was an exception also, I believe.
Gracepano.com
