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The first to bear the name of Herod recorded in the Bible is Herod the Great born 73 BC and died around March or April, 4 BC in Jericho, Judea. Herod was born in southern Palestine. His father named, Antipater, an Edomite came from the area around the Dead Sea and Gulf of Aqaba. Antipater was wealthy and influential. He married the daughter of a aristocrat from Petra. The Romans appointed their son, Herod the Great, to rule over Judea. He was an unprincipled dictator, yet brilliant and destined to rule. Following the death of his father the Senate that consisted also of Marc Anthony and Octavius turned power of Judea over to Herod. He made grand labors to appease the Jewish people by openly observing their law, regrouping the Sanhedrin and constructing a temple.
Herod used his immoral craftiness and cruelty to assure his position as dictator. From 37 B.C. to 4 B.C., Herod remained in power over Judea. Married ten times his family was intriguing. His jealous nature controlled him and he was a very suspicious person filled with covetousness and suspicion. Because of his great jealousy, he even executed members of his own family if he felt they were a threat to him. According to Matthew, the apostle, Herod executed his own wife, Mariamne, their sons, Aristobulus and Alexander, Antipater, son of his first wife and all the male babies two years and under in Bethlehem. In spite of his desire for power and his brutality, he built a great Temple at Jerusalem and other grand structures throughout Judea.
Not more than a year after Herod died Mary and Joseph fled with Jesus into Egypt. “Matthew 2:13 And when they were departed, behold, the angel of the Lord appeareth to Joseph in a dream, saying, Arise, and take the young child and his mother, and flee into Egypt, and be thou there until I bring thee word: for Herod will seek the young child to destroy him. 14 When he arose, he took the young child and his mother by night, and departed into Egypt: 15 and was there until the death of Herod: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, Out of Egypt have I called my son.” Upon hearing of the death of Herod Mary and Joseph journeyed to the land of Israel. “Matthew 2:19 But when Herod was dead, behold, an angel of the Lord appeareth in a dream to Joseph in Egypt, 20 Saying, Arise, and take the young child and his mother, and go into the land of Israel: for they are dead which sought the young child's life. 21 And he arose, and took the young child and his mother, and came into the land of Israel.”
Herod Antipas son of Herod the Great who is also known as Herod the Tetrarch was born 21 BC and died AD 39. Antipas was given the land of Galilee and Perea to rule over. He was a builder just like his father and built Tiberius along the Sea of Galilee as his capital. Antipas married first the daughter of Aretas, the Nabatean King and then later married Herodias granddaughter of Herod the Great daughter of Antipas’ brother Aristobulus. This marriage with Herodias enraged his first wife and in time caused his defeat.
After hearing of the marriage, John the Baptist came against Antipas claiming it was wrong for him to marry his brother’s daughter who had also been the wife of Philip his half-brother. Antipas threw John the Baptist in jail and then later by the wishes of Salome the daughter of Herodias by another marriage he had John beheaded. “For Herod himself had sent forth and laid hold upon John, and bound him in prison for Herodias' sake, his brother Philip's wife: for he had married her. For John had said unto Herod, It is not lawful for thee to have thy brother's wife. Therefore Herodias had a quarrel against him, and would have killed him; but she could not: For Herod feared John, knowing that he was a just man and an holy, and observed him; and when he heard him, he did many things, and heard him gladly. And when a convenient day was come, that Herod on his birthday made a supper to his lords, high captains, and chief estates of Galilee; And when the daughter of the said Herodias came in, and danced, and pleased Herod and them that sat with him, the king said unto the damsel, Ask of me whatsoever thou wilt, and I will give it thee. And he sware unto her, whatsoever thou shalt ask of me, I will give it thee, unto the half of my kingdom. And she went forth, and said unto her mother, what shall I ask? And she said, the head of John the Baptist. (Mark 6:17-24)”
Fearing that Jesus was next on Antipas’ list to be beheaded, Jesus left the land of Antipas for a while. Herod Antipas was claiming that Jesus was “John the Baptist raised from the dead.” Jesus called Antipas a ‘fox’ after a brief meeting with him when Pilate wanted to get Jesus off his hands at the onset of Jesus’ trial. Herod Antipas finally removed from his office in 39 A.D. and sent away to Gaul living there until his death in that same year.
Herod Agrippa I, grandson of Herod the Great, was born around 10 B.C. and died A.D. 44. His name was originally Marcus Julius Agrippa. He was king of Judea from 41 to 44 A.D. After his father’s death, Agrippa went to Rome where his grandfather, Herod the Great raised him. In 37 A.D., Emperor Caligula appointed Agrippa king of the territories formerly ruled by Philip and Lysanias. When Agrippa’s nephew, Herod Antipas, insisted the title of king also, Agrippa brought charges against him causing his dismissal. Herod Agrippa I received Antipas’ tetrarchy as well. To the shock of his Jewish subjects, Agrippa lived as an austere Jew defending all Jewish customs and traditions. Agrippa persecuted without relent though the early Christian Church arresting John and Peter and beheading James, brother of John until he was finally incapacitated with an unknown illness while still in office in 44 A.D. and died.
Herodias wife of Herod Antipas, tetrarch of Galilee from 4 B.C. to 39 A.D. also the granddaughter of Herod the Great and daughter of Aristobulus son of Herod the Great was a ruthless princess whose incestuous relationships and marriages shocked the Jewish people and brought about the ruin of her husbands. Josephus an ancient historian wrote that Herodias was first married to her stepbrother, father of Salome. Next, she was married to Philip, her uncle and last to Herod Antipas.
John the Baptist denounced her marriage to Herod as a sin against the Mosaic Law causing Herodias to conspire against John the Baptist. According to Mark chapter 6, she wanted John killed but Herod Antipas feared him and would not do it. Herodias used Herod’s birthday party as an opportunity to gain the favor of Antipas and the execution of John. She had her daughter Salome perform a dance so pleasing to Herod that he offered to grant her anything she desired. Encouraged by Herodias, Salome asked Herod for the head of John on a platter. Grudgingly Herod Antipas was obligated to obey her desires and brought the head of John to her on a platter. Herodias in her conniving ways also persuaded Antipas to bring rumor against her brother Agrippa that provoked the emperor Caligula who exiled them to Gaul where Herodias stayed with Antipas until their death in 39 A.D.
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