in the footsteps of the master: the life and times of jesus christ the house of herod september 27,...

In The Footsteps Of The Master:The Life and Times of Jesus Christ

The House of Herod

September 27, 2009

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The House of Herod• Why in the world would we spend an

entire class period talking about the Herods?

• I’d like to begin with a quote from one of my favorite Biblical scholars:– “The Herod Family Tree doesn’t have

many branches.”Dr. Mike Parker


The House of HerodT

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From the Exile ForwardDate Ruling Entity Culture

931 BC Divided Kingdom Jewish

722 BC Assyria Assyrian

586 BC Babylonia Babylonian

539 BC Medo-Persian Persian

334 BC Alexandrian Greek

324 BC Egyptian (Ptolemies) Greek

204 BC Syrian (Seleucids) Greek

165 BC Maccabean Jewish

142 BC Hasmonean Greek/Jewish

63 BC Roman Greek/Roman

Antipater II - Founding Father• An Idumean (Edomite)• Shrewd and seditious

– Founder of the Herodian Dynasty• Politically ambitious, though not be able to

assume Jewish throne or High Priesthood– Allied himself with Hyrcanus II, one of the last

Hasmonean kings– Found favor of the Roman general Pompey– Julius Caesar appointed Hyrcanus as

Ethnarch (national leader) of the Jews, and Antipater as administrator of Judea


Antipater II (cont.)• While supporting Hyrcanus publicly,

Antipater had aspirations of his own• Appointed two of his sons to powerful

positions in 47 BC:– Phasael as Governor of Jerusalem– Herod as Governor of Galilee


Herod the Great (73-4 BC)• Began his rule of Galilee in

43 BC at age 25– Was admired by his subjects

for his leadership• Politically shrewd madman• During a period of intrigue and

uncertainty in the Empire, he dodged numerous accusations against him and gained power at every turn

• Murdered wives, sons & enemies at will


Herod the Great

Herod the Great (cont.)• Named king of Judea by

the Romans in 39 BC– Considered himself “King of

the Jews” after eliminatinglast of the Hasmoneans

• Rebuilt the Temple– Began 20 BC; completed 63 AD– Read John 2:19-21

• Also built many other palaces,monuments and public edifices– Caesarea, Masada, Herodium



Herod the Great (cont.)• Tried to kill Jesus a child

– Read Matthew 2:1-8• Fell gravely ill (Josephus paints a horrible

word picture)– Knew that everyone would rejoice at his

death, but expected mourning– Rounded up prominent men, locked them in

the arena at Jericho and ordered his men to kill them upon his death

• Died in 4 BC– Kingdom divided among three sons

Herod Archelaus• Reigned over a portion of his father’s

kingdom as “ethnarch” (4 BC – 6 AD)– Territory included Judea

• Was the reason thatJoseph and Mary wentto Galilee– And settled in Nazareth– Read Matthew 2:22

• Deemed brutal andincompetent by Romeand replaced



Philip the Tetrarch• Ruled as Tetrarch over ¼ of Herod’s

kingdom from 4BC until his death in 34 AD• Mentioned in Luke 3:1• Married Herodias’ daughter (and his step-

niece), Salome

Herod Antipas• Ruled as Tetrarch over ¼ of Herod’s

kingdom from 4BC until 39 AD• Put John the Baptist in prison

– Read Luke 3:19• Jesus called him a “fox”

– Read Luke 13:31-33• Married to Herodias

– Ex-wife of his half-brother (Herod II or Philip I)– His niece; daughter of his half-brother,

Aristobulus



Herod Antipas (cont.)• Executed John the Baptist at the request

of his step-daughter (and half-niece), Salome– Read Matthew 14:3-11

• Participated in Jesus’ trial– Read Luke 23:6-12

• Was ultimately banished by Rome to Southern France, the result of more intra-family intrigue


The Herodians• Those loyal to the family of Herod and

therefore Rome• Generally found in complicity with the

Sadducees• However, hatred makes for strange

bedfellows– Read Matthew 22:15-17– Read Mark 3:6

• The Pharisees were decidedly anti-Roman, but joined forces with the Herodians against Jesus

Herod Agrippa I• Grandson of Herod the Great• Ruled in Palestine from 37-44 AD• Last of the Herod lineage to rule over the

united Jewish territories• Close friend of Emperor

Caligula• Set himself up as a god

and was eaten by wormsat Caesarea– Read Acts 12:19b-23


Kingdom of Agrippa I


Drusilla• Great-Granddaughter of Herod the Great

– Grand-daughter of Aristobulus IV– Daughter of Herod Agrippa I

• Wife of Antonius Felix, Governor of Judea, before whom the Apostle Paul appeared– Read Acts 24:24-26

Herod Agrippa II• Marcus Julius Agrippa, son of Herod

Agrippa I, great-grandson of Herod the Great

• Ruled from 50-93 AD• Kingdom did not

include Jerusalem– But spent time there, as

well as Caesarea• Administrator of the

Temple in Jerusalem


Kingdom of Agrippa II


Herod Agrippa II (cont.)• Involved in an incestuous relationship with

his sister, Bernice– She was married numerous times, but kept

returning to her brother• The Herod before whom

Paul appeared– Read Acts 25:13-15, 22


In Conclusion• This shrewd and unscrupulous family set

the tone for much of the world in which Jesus and his Disciples lived

• Yet for all of their scheming and underhanded dealings, they were unable to stop the spread of the Kingdom of God


Next Week• Sending Out the Disciples by Twos and

Their Return

in the footsteps of the master: the life and times of jesus christ the house of herod september 27,...

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