Herod, Herodian Family

The Herodian family were political rulers during the time of the events described in the New Testament. Herod’s son Herod Antipas ruled Galilee and Perea. These were the places where Jesus and John the Baptist did most of their ministries. Herod Antipas ordered the death of John the Baptist. He also questioned Jesus shortly before Jesus died.

Herod Agrippa I persecuted the church in Acts 12. Herod Agrippa II listened to Paul’s testimony in Acts 26 before Paul traveled to Rome to be tried by Caesar.

Knowledge of the Herodian family helps us understand the world in which Jesus lived.

The Herodian Dynasty

Herod the Great

Archelaus

Antipas

Philip the Tetrarch

Agrippa I

Agrippa II

The Herodian dynasty (a family that ruled for more than one generation) became powerful during the weakening of the Hasmonean dynasty. During this time, Rome began to rule Syria and Palestine, and wars within the nation caused great damage. We learn many details about the Herods from Josephus, a Jewish historian. He wrote Antiquities of the Jews and The Jewish War.

Herod the Great became governor of Galilee when he was 25 years old. He earned respect from both the Romans and the Galilean Jews by quickly capturing and executing the bandit leader Ezekias. However, some in Hyrcanus’s court believed he was becoming too powerful and arranged for his trial. He was acquitted and released.

He then fled to Sextus Caesar in Damascus. Sextus Caesar, the governor of Syria, appointed Herod as governor of Coele-Syria. This involved him in Roman affairs in Syria. He stayed in this role under different rulers.

As governor, he successfully collected taxes and suppressed revolts. In 41 BC, when Antony gained power under Octavius Caesar, Sextus appointed Herod and Phasael as tetrarchs (local rulers who governed part of a larger region) of Judea.

Most scholars divide the rule of Herod the Great into three periods:

The first period was a time of consolidation from 37 to 25 BC.

The second period was a time of prosperity from 25 to 13 BC.

The third period was a time of domestic troubles from 13 to 4 BC.

The period of consolidation lasted from when he became king in 37 BC until the death of Babas's sons, the last male members of the Hasmonean family. During this time, he faced many strong enemies.

The first opponents were the Jewish people and the Pharisees. They objected to him being an Idumean, a half-Jew, and a friend of the Romans. Those who opposed him faced punishment, while those who supported him received favors and honors.

The second group of opponents came from the wealthy ruling class who supported Antigonus. Herod executed 45 of the richest people and took their properties to fill his own treasury.

The third group of enemies was the Hasmonean family. Herod's main issue was his mother-in-law, Alexandra. She was upset because he did not appoint another Hasmonean as high priest to replace Hyrcanus. Her choice was her son, Aristobulus. She wrote to Cleopatra, asking her to persuade Antony to force Herod to replace the appointed high priest, Ananel, with Aristobulus.

Eventually, Herod gave in to the pressure. After the Feast of Tabernacles, Herod had Aristobulus drowned, making it look like an accident. Herod then put Alexandra in chains and placed her under guard to prevent further trouble.

Herod's fourth opponent was Cleopatra. During the civil war between Antony and Octavius, Herod wanted to support Antony. However, Cleopatra convinced Antony to send Herod to fight the Arabian king Malchus, who had not paid her tribute. When Herod started winning, Cleopatra ordered her troops to assist Malchus. She hoped to weaken both sides enough to take control of them.

After a devastating earthquake in his territory in 31 BC, Herod defeated the Arabs and returned home. Shortly after, on September 2, 31 BC, Octavius defeated Antony at the Battle of Actium. This led to the suicides of Antony and Cleopatra.

The second period of Herod's reign, from 25 to 14 BC, was prosperous. It was a time of splendor and enjoyment, with occasional disturbances. According to Josephus, Herod's greatest achievement was rebuilding the temple in Jerusalem, which began in 20 or 19 BC (Antiquities 15.8.1). Rabbinic literature states, "He who has not seen the Temple of Herod has never seen a beautiful building" (Babylonian Talmud: Baba Bathra 4a). Before this, Herod constructed theaters, amphitheaters, and racecourses for both men and horses. In 24 BC, Herod built a royal palace for himself. He also constructed or rebuilt many fortresses and non-Jewish temples. Among these was Strato’s Tower, later renamed Caesarea.

During this period, he developed a strong interest in culture and surrounded himself with experts in Greek literature and art. Greek speakers were given top positions in the government. One of these experts was Nicolas of Damascus, who was Herod's teacher and adviser in philosophy, rhetoric, and history. In late 24 BC, he married Mariamne, the daughter of Simon, a well-known priest in Jerusalem. She is known as Mariamne II.

During this time, the people generally accepted Herod's rule. However, they were upset by two things. First, he broke Jewish law by introducing games every five years to honor Caesar. Second, he built theaters and racecourses. He required most subjects to take a loyalty oath, except for a few privileged individuals. He also restricted gatherings to prevent revolts. Despite these actions, he maintained good control over the people. He twice reduced their taxes, including a one-fourth reduction in 14 BC.

The third period of Herod's rule, from 13 to 4 BC, was marked by domestic problems. By this time, he had married ten wives. His first wife, Doris, had one son named Antipater. He rejected Doris and Antipater when he married Mariamne I, allowing them to visit Jerusalem only during festivals.

He married Mariamne I in 37 BC. She was the granddaughter of Hyrcanus and had five children, two daughters and three sons. The youngest son died in Rome, and the other two sons played important roles during this time in Herod's reign.

In late 24 BC, he married his third wife, Mariamne II, and they had one child, Herod (also known as Philip). Malthace, his fourth wife, was a Samaritan and the mother of two sons, Archelaus and Antipas. His fifth wife, Cleopatra of Jerusalem, was the mother of Philip the tetrarch. Of the remaining five wives, only Pallas, Phaedra, and Elpsis are known by name, and none played a significant role in the events of this period.

Alexander and Aristobulus, the sons of Mariamne I, were Herod's favorites. After their marriages, problems started in the Herodian family. Salome, Herod's sister and mother of Berenice (Aristobulus's wife), disliked these sons. She wanted the position and favor they had for her own son. Herod decided to bring back his exiled son, Antipater, to show Alexander and Aristobulus there was another heir. Antipater took full advantage of this and used every possible way to gain the throne. Eventually, a man of bad character, Eurycles from Lacedaemon, stirred up trouble between Herod and his sons. Other troublemakers soon joined Eurycles, and Herod lost patience. He imprisoned Alexander and Aristobulus and named Antipater as heir.

Antipater, eager to gain the throne, tried to poison Herod. The plan failed when Pheroras, Herod's brother, accidentally drank the poison. Herod imprisoned Antipater and informed the emperor around 5 BC. During this period, Herod became very ill with a disease that could not be cured. He created a new will, excluding his older sons, Archelaus and Philip, because Antipater had turned him against them too. He selected his youngest son, Antipas, as his only successor.

During this time, the wise men arrived in Judea, looking for the newborn king of the Jews. Herod told them to inform him where the child was once they found him. However, warned in a dream, they did not report back to Herod and instead returned home by a different route. God warned Joseph (husband of the mother of Jesus) to escape to Egypt because Herod planned to kill Jesus. Joseph took his family and left Bethlehem. Soon after, Herod killed all the male children in Bethlehem who were two years old and younger.

Herod’s disease became worse over time. Rome gave him permission to execute Antipater. Herod carried out the execution.

After this, Herod changed his will again. He named Archelaus as king of Judea, Idumea, and Samaria. He named Antipas as the ruler (tetrarch) of Galilee and Perea. He named Philip as the ruler of the lands east of Galilee.

Five days after Antipater was executed, Herod died in Jericho in the spring of 4 BC. After Herod’s death, the people accepted Archelaus as their king.

Archelaus was born around 22 BC. He was the son of Herod the Great and Malthace, who was a Samaritan. Archelaus experienced many challenges. He began his rule poorly by killing 3,000 people to stop a rebellion. This uprising was led by those seeking revenge for the deaths caused by his father, Herod. In 4 BC, during Pentecost, another revolt erupted. It lasted about two and a half months. During this time, the temple porticoes were burned, and the Romans looted the treasury. This unrest spread to the Judean countryside, as well as to Galilee and Perea.

Archelaus treated both the Jews and the Samaritans harshly (War 2.7.3), as the Gospels confirm. When Joseph returned from Egypt and learned that Archelaus ruled Judea, he feared going there. God warned him against it, so he took the infant Jesus to Galilee instead (Matthew 2:22).

Archelaus's harsh rule led the Jews and Samaritans to send a delegation to Rome to formally complain to Augustus. The cooperation between these bitter enemies shows the seriousness of their complaint. Antipas and Philip also traveled to Rome to speak about their complaints against Archelaus. They likely felt he neglected his duties as their Roman representative for Palestine.

In AD 6, Archelaus was removed from power and exiled to Vienna in Gaul (modern Vienne on the Rhône, south of Lyons). Antipas and Philip were allowed to continue their respective rules. The territories of Archelaus became a Roman province that was ruled by prefects or procurators. These were Roman officials who governed the area on behalf of Rome.

Antipas, born around 20 BC, was Archelaus's younger brother. He is the most mentioned Herodian in the New Testament because he ruled Galilee and Perea. Jesus and John the Baptist focused their ministries in these areas.

Antipas's region faced chaos due to a rebellion that started at Pentecost in 4 BC. He quickly worked to restore order and rebuild what was destroyed. Like his father, Herod the Great, Antipas founded cities. Sepphoris was his first project. Sepphoris was the largest city in Galilee and his capital city until he built Tiberias. Nazareth was only about six and a half kilometers (four miles) south-southeast of Sepphoris. So Joseph, Mary's husband, might have worked as a carpenter (Matthew 13:55; Mark 6:3) to help rebuild the city.

Of the 12 cities built by the Herodian family, Tiberias is the most important. It was the first city in Jewish history founded with the structure of a Greek polis (city-state). It was built to honor the emperor Tiberius. Because a cemetery was destroyed during construction, Jews considered Tiberias unclean. Antipas offered free houses, land, and tax exemptions for the first few years to attract residents. He completed the city in AD 23 and made it his capital.

In the Christian world, Antipas is most remembered for beheading John the Baptist (Matthew 14:3–12; Mark 6:17–29; Luke 3:19–20; Antiquities 18.5.2.116–119). A series of family events led to John's death. Antipas married the daughter of Aretas IV, though her name is unknown. Aretas IV was the Nabatean king. Augustus may have encouraged this marriage to promote peace through intermarriage among rulers.

Around AD 29, Antipas traveled to Rome. On the way, he visited his half-brother Herod Philip, who likely lived in a coastal city in Palestine. Antipas fell in love with Herodias, Philip’s wife, who was also Antipas’s niece. Herodias liked the idea of becoming the wife of a tetrarch and agreed to marry him when he returned from Rome, if he would divorce Aretas’s daughter. Antipas agreed, and when Aretas’s daughter heard about it, she fled to her father. This broke a political alliance and was a personal insult, leading Aretas to retaliate.

Antipas and Herodias married against Mosaic law, which forbade marrying a brother's wife (Leviticus 18:16; 20:21). This law allowed exceptions only to raise children for a deceased, childless brother. This was the practice known as levirate marriage (Deuteronomy 25:5; Mark 12:19). Philip, however, had a child, Salome, and was still alive. John the Baptist spoke out against this marriage, leading Antipas to imprison him. Herodias hated John too much to be satisfied with his imprisonment. At a suitable time, possibly Antipas's birthday, she organized a banquet at Machaerus in Perea. Her daughter, Salome, danced for the king. Antipas impulsively promised her anything, up to half his kingdom.

Following her mother's advice, Salome asked for John the Baptist's head on a platter. Antipas regretted his rash promise. But, to maintain his reputation with his officials, he granted the request. Thus, John's ministry ended around AD 31 or 32.

The Gospels mention Antipas and Jesus together three times.

Early in the ministry of Jesus, Antipas heard about him. He remarked, maybe ironically, that Jesus was John the Baptist resurrected (Matthew 14:1–2; Mark 6:14–16; Luke 9:7–9). Antipas saw that the ministry of Jesus was even more remarkable than John's. However, he hesitated to use force to arrange a meeting, fearing it would again stir the people against him. Eventually, Jesus left Antipas's territories without the two meeting.

Later, as Jesus became more popular, Antipas saw him as a threat to his power and threatened to kill him. When Jesus made his final trip to Jerusalem, some Pharisees warned him to leave Antipas's territories for his safety (Luke 13:31–33). Jesus replied to "that fox" that he would continue healing and casting out demons for a little longer. After finishing, he would go to Jerusalem to die. In ancient literature, people often compared the lion and the fox. The Lion of Judah, Jesus Christ, would not be forced by the cunning coward, Antipas.

The last meeting between the two happened when Jesus was tried by Antipas in AD 33 (Luke 23:6–12). Since only Luke mentions this event, some scholars think it might be a legend. However, remember that Luke wrote to Theophilus, likely a Roman officer. His role would have meant he would be interested in the reconciliation between Pilate and Antipas mentioned in this passage.

According to Luke, Pilate found no fault in Jesus and sent him to Antipas, who was in Jerusalem for Passover. Pilate wanted to avoid an awkward situation. He also hoped to mend his strained relationship with Antipas. Their tension arose partially from the Galilean massacre (Luke 13:1). In addition, Pilate brought special votive shields into Jerusalem. These shields were dedicated to the emperor, and they angered the Jews (Philo’s Legatio ad Gaium 299–304). When Jesus appeared before Antipas, the ruler mocked him and sent him back to Pilate. The main political outcome was the reconciliation between Antipas and Pilate.

Philip the tetrarch was the son of Herod the Great and Cleopatra of Jerusalem, born around 22 BC. When Herod's will was settled, Philip became tetrarch over Gaulanitis, Auranitis, Batanea, Trachonitis, and Iturea. All of these communities were in the northern part of Herod the Great's domain (Luke 3:1). His subjects were mainly Syrian and Greek. He was the first and only Herodian to have his image on coins.

He built two cities. First, he rebuilt and expanded Paneas, renaming it Caesarea Philippi. At this place, Peter confessed his faith in Jesus. Jesus said this truth came from God and promised to build his church (Matthew 16:13–20; Mark 8:27–30). Next, he rebuilt and expanded Bethsaida. He renamed it Julias. Here, Jesus healed a blind man (Mark 8:22–26), and in a nearby desert area, he fed 5,000 people (Luke 9:10–17).

Philip was less politically ambitious than his brothers. His rule was peaceful, and his subjects were loyal. When Philip died in AD 34, Tiberius added his territories to Syria. After Caligula became emperor in AD 37, he gave the territories to Agrippa I, Herodias's brother.

Agrippa I was the son of Aristobulus, who was the son of Herod the Great and Mariamne I, and Berenice. He was born in 10 BC and was the brother of Herodias.

Agrippa I might be seen as the outcast of the Herodian family. While studying in Rome, he lived recklessly and accumulated many debts. In Rome, he befriended Gaius Caligula and once expressed a wish for Caligula to be king instead of Tiberius. Someone overheard this and reported it to Tiberius, who then imprisoned Agrippa. He stayed in prison until Tiberius died six months later.

When Caligula became emperor, he freed Agrippa. He also gave him Philip the tetrarch's lands and the northern part of Lysanias's territory. He also gave Agrippa the title of king. This title made his sister Herodias jealous. Her jealousy eventually caused her husband Antipas's downfall. In AD 39, Agrippa took over all of Antipas's lands and property.

When Caligula died in AD 41, Agrippa gained favor with the new emperor, Claudius. Claudius then added Judea and Samaria to Agrippa's territory. Agrippa's grandfather, Herod the Great, once ruled this land.

Agrippa I appears in the New Testament for persecuting the early church to gain favor with the Jewish people (Acts 12:1–19). He killed James, the son of Zebedee, and imprisoned Peter. After an angel freed Peter, Agrippa executed the guards.

Agrippa died in AD 44 in Caesarea. Josephus (Antiquities 19.9.1.274–275; War 2.11.5.214–215) and the Scriptures both record this event. It happened in Caesarea when he wore a shiny silver robe. The people praised him as a god, and he suddenly became very ill and died a terrible death. His daughters, Bernice, Mariamne, and Drusilla, and his 17-year-old son, Agrippa, survived him. Because Agrippa II was young, his father's lands temporarily became a province.

Agrippa II was the son of Agrippa I and Cypros. In AD 50, six years after his father died, Claudius appointed him king of Chalcis.

Agrippa II managed the temple treasury and the high priest's clothing, allowing him to appoint the high priest. The Romans sought his advice on religious issues. This likely explains why Festus asked him to listen to the apostle Paul at Caesarea in AD 59. He was with his sister Bernice at that time (Acts 25–26).

In May AD 66, the Palestinian revolution began (War 2.14.4.284). When Agrippa's attempt to stop the revolt failed, he became a strong ally of the Romans throughout the war (AD 66–70). During this time, Nero committed suicide, the new emperor Galba was murdered, and Vespasian became the emperor. After pledging loyalty to Vespasian, Agrippa stayed with Titus, Vespasian's son, who led the war (Tacitus’s History 5.81). After Jerusalem fell on August 6, AD 70, Agrippa was likely present to celebrate the defeat of his own people.

After this, Vespasian added new territories to Agrippa’s kingdom, but the specific ones are unknown. In AD 79, Vespasian died, and Titus became emperor. Little is known about Agrippa’s rule after this. One exception is that he wrote to the historian Josephus, praising him for The Jewish War, and he bought a copy of it (Josephus’s Life 65.361–367; Apion 1.9.47–52).

The Talmud suggests that Agrippa II had two wives (Babylonian Talmud: Sukkah 27a). However, Josephus does not mention any wives or children. Instead, Agrippa II was known for his incestuous relationship with his sister Bernice. He died around AD 100, marking the end of the Herodian dynasty.

See also Herodians and Judaism.