Biblical Profile: Herod the Great

Herod the Great

Herod the Great was the Roman-appointed king of Judea (37–4 BC) at the time of Jesus’ birth (Matt 2:1; Luke 1:5). He was a strong military leader, a brilliant politician, and a cruel tyrant. Born into an Idumean (Edomite) family with links to the Romans, he rose to power by gaining Roman favor and retained it by cruelly suppressing his opponents.

Herod was known for his large building projects. His greatest accomplishment was the rebuilding and beautification of the Jerusalem Temple, begun ~20 BC (Josephus, Antiquities 15.8.1), making it one of the most magnificent buildings in the ancient world. He also built Caesarea and made it the Roman headquarters in Palestine. Herod earned the title “the Great” because of his reputation as a great builder.

Herod was also known for his family troubles and his brutal treatment of those who opposed him or whom he considered threats. He murdered two of his wives and three of his own sons when he suspected them of plotting against him. Caesar Augustus once said that he would rather be Herod’s swine than his son (a play on words in Greek since the two words sound alike—hus, huios). When Jesus was born toward the end of Herod’s reign and Herod heard him referred to as a future “king,” Herod attempted to have him killed also. Unable to locate the boy, Herod ordered the massacre of all the boys less than two years old in the Bethlehem area (see Matt 2:1-20)—an act typical of his ruthlessness and paranoia.

Though Herod gained the title “king of the Jews,” the Jewish people never accepted him as a legitimate king because he was not from the line of David and because he was an Edomite (a descendant of Esau) rather than a Jew.

Passages for Further Study

Matt 2:1-20; Luke 1:5