Herod – Profile of a Cruel & Cunning King
Infamous as King of Judea in Matthew’s Nativity story, he was a threat to the lives of the Magi, Mary, Joseph and baby Jesus. Herod’s profile is truly that of a villain for other reasons, too.
Jewish historian Josephus noted people quickly saw Herod’s harsh personality:
“…they saw that he was a violent and bold man, and very desirous of acting tyrannically.” – Flavius Josephus [1]
One clue for his cruel behavior might be that Herod was not himself a Jew. His father was Idumean and his mother Arabian.[2]
Aligning himself with Roman rulers, he was appointed as a military general “for he sold him that post for money.” Marc Antony named Herod as Tetrarch “by money” and such persuasions also helped avert a dangerous dalliance with Queen Cleopatra.[3]
Presenting Herod to the Roman Senate by Antony, the Senate voted to make him King of Judea in 40 BC. Authority in Judea had to be taken by force over the course of 3 years with assistance by Antony and Roman Legions.[4]
Later, Antony’s defeat by Octavius (aka Augustus) caused Herod to believe his days were numbered. With nothing to lose, he boldly presented himself to Caesar Augustus in Rome.
Herod positioned his loyalty to Antony as a quality that would likewise be valuable to Caesar if allowed to pledge his allegiance. The ploy worked establishing a lasting relationship with Augustus for the remainder of Herod’s life.[5]
Killings of many people, even though a king, was in violation of Jewish law compelling the Sanhedrin to put Herod on trial for murder. High Priest Hyrcanus tipped off the defiant Herod of the pending verdict allowing him to temporarily escape to Damascus.[6]
Revenue was acquired through heavy taxes, from booty of war and at least some illicitly. Josephus wrote that under cover of night, Herod robbed King David’s sepulcher of gold furniture and precious goods (the money had already been robbed).[7]
Enhancing the Jewish Temple, Herod is famed for building it back to the grandeur of Solomon.[8] Greek inscriptions and architectural features in the enhanced Temple were implemented by Herod.
One such sacrilege was placing Rome’s golden eagle insignia over the Temple gate. It led to a future atrocity when Herod had 40 insurrectionists burned alive and marked his final days.[9]
Trusting no one, Herod was ruthless in quelling any possible threats.[10] A favored interrogation method was torture on “the rack.”
Some of those who met this fate were identified by Josephus. Victims included palace eunuchs, body guards, maids, friends of family members, soldiers, and anyone else possibly holding secrets with only family members being exempt..[11]
Family status; however, offered no safe harbor from execution. Murders by Herod were standard fare.
Members of the royal family consisted of 10 wives and children. Constantly in turmoil, they bore hatred for one another producing rivalries, slanders, lies, backstabbings, and murder conspiracies.[12]
Second wife of Herod was Mariamne whose 17 year-old son was drowned by order of the King simply because he wanted someone else to be high priest. Former high priest, Hyrcanus, Mariamne’s father and old heir to the throne, was also killed by Herod.[13]
For rebuking Herod, his sister Salome and mother for complicity in the strangulation execution for her other 2 sons convicted for plotting to kill Herod, it led to Mariamne’s own execution.[14] Days before Herod died, he executed his son from his first wife, Antipater.[15]
According to Matthew, believed he had been deceived by the Magi. They returned home by a different route while Joseph and Mary with baby Jesus escaped Judea to Egypt
MT 2:16 Then when Herod saw that he had been tricked by the magi, he became very enraged, and sent and slew all the male children who were in Bethlehem and all its vicinity, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had determined from the magi.” (NKJV)
Unusual for rulers of the era, Herod died a natural death, albeit a most miserable one. Disabled by a terrible groin condition, gangrenous bowels protruded out of his body compelling him to attempt a failed suicide.
Knowing death was imminent and feeling sorry for himself, according to Josephus, the King devised the most dastardly plan of his reign.[16] Surmising the principal men of Judea would all rejoice at his death rather than mourn, the King made a demented plan to murder them.
To deprive them of such mockery, under threat of death Herod summoned all the principal men throughout Judea to travel to his palace in Jericho. He then had them locked inside the hippodrome.[15]
Before his death announcement was made public, the soldiers were to kill these principal men for the purpose of placing all of Judea in a state of mourning. Further, to ensure a deep national mourning, one member of each family in Judea was also to be killed.[17]
Salome, Herod’s reputed wicked sister, was to carry out his last wishes, but such depravity was even too much for her. Aborting the plan after the death of the king, she informed the soldiers the King had changed his mind at the last moment and they released the principal men.[18]
Does the historical profile of a cruel Herod strengthen or diminish the credibility of Matthew Nativity account of killing all male boys 2 years and younger in the Bethlehem area just to ensure he killed baby Jesus?
Updated March 16, 2025.
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REFERENCES:
[1] Josephus, Flavius. Antiquities of the Jews. Book XIV, Ch. IX. William Whitson. The Complete Works of Josephus. 1850. Google Books. n.d <http://books.google.com/books?id=e0dAAAAAMAAJ&printsec=frontcover&source=gbs_ge_summary_r&cad=0#v=onepage&q&f=false> Josephus, Flavius. Wars of the Jews. Book I, Chapter X. William Whitson. The Complete Works of Josephus. 1850. Google Books. n.d. <http://books.google.com/books?id=e0dAAAAAMAAJ&printsec=frontcover&source=gbs_ge_summary_r&cad=0#v=onepage&q&f=false> “Herod.” Jewish Virtual Library. 2017. <http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/herod> “Herod the Great – Governor of Galilee (47-37 B.C.).” <https://encyclopedia2.thefreedictionary.com/Idumean> Bunson, Matthew. Encyclopedia of the Roman Empire. “Judaea.” 2002. <https://archive.org/details/isbn_9780816045624>
[2] Herod the Great.” Livius.org. Ed. Jona Lendering. 2017. <http://www.livius.org/articles/person/herod-the-great/?> “Edom (ē`dŏm), Idumaea, or Idumea.” The Free Dictionary. 2017. <http://www.bible-history.com/herod_the_great> Bunson, Matthew. Encyclopedia of the Roman Empire. “Idumaea.” 2002. <https://archive.org/details/isbn_9780816045624> Herod the Great.” Livius.org. Ed. Jona Lendering. 2017. <http://www.livius.org/articles/person/herod-the-great/?> “Edom (ē`dŏm), Idumaea, or Idumea.” The Free Dictionary. 2017. <http://www.bible-history.com/herod_the_great> Bunson, Matthew. Encyclopedia of the Roman Empire. “Idumaea.” 2002. <https://archive.org/details/isbn_9780816045624> “Herod the Great Biography.” TheFamousPeople. photo. n.d. <https://www.thefamouspeople.com/profiles/herod-the-great-37596.php>
[3] Josephus. Antiquities. Book XIV, Chapters IV, V, IX, XI. Josephus. Wars. Book I, Chapter X.
[4] Josephus. Antiquities. Book XIV, Chapter. XVI, XII-XIV. Josephus. Wars. Book I, Chapters IV, XV – XVII. “Herod I.” Jewish Encyclopedia. 2011. <http://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/articles/7598-herod-i>
[5] Josephus. Antiquities. Book XV, Chapters VI-VII. Josephus. Wars. Book I, Chapter XIX-XX. Bunson, Matthew. Encyclopedia of the Roman Empire. “Herod the Great.” 2002. <https://archive.org/details/isbn_9780816045624> > Bunson, Matthew. Encyclopedia of the Roman Empire. “Jerusalem.” 2002. <https://archive.org/details/isbn_9780816045624>
[6] Josephus. Antiquities. Book XIV, Ch. IX; Book XV, Chapter II. Josephus. Josephus. Wars. Book I, Chapter X. “Herod the Great.” Bible History Online. 2016.
[7] Josephus. Antiquities. Book XVI, Chapter VII. Josephus. Wars. Book I, Chapters XXI, XXV, XXIV. “Herod the Great.” Bible History Online. 2016. <http://www.bible-history.com/herod_the_great> “Herod the Great.” Livius.org.
[8] Josephus. Antiquities. Book XV, Chapter XI. Josephus. Wars. Book I, Chapter XXI. “Herod the Great.” Bible History Online. 2016. <http://www.bible-history.com/herod_the_great> Edersheim, Alfred. The Temple – Its Ministry and Services. 1826-1889. Chapter 1. <http://philologos.org/__eb-ttms/default.htm> Hegg, Tim. “Separating the Most Holy from the Holy: The ‘Veil’ in the Tabernacle and First & Second Temples” Torah Resource. <http://www.torahresource.com/EnglishArticles/Veil%20ETS%20Paper.pdf> “Temple of Jerusalem.” New World Encyclopedia. 2015. <http://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Temple_of_Jerusalem> “Herod’s Temple.” Bible-history.com. n.d. <http://www.bible-history.com/herod_the_great/HERODHerods_Temple.htm> “Herod.” Jewish Virtual Library.
[9] Josephus. Antiquities. Book XV, Chapter VIII; Book XVI, Chapter V; Book XVII, Chapters VI; VIII. Josephus. Wars. Book I, Chapter XXI. “Hellenism” Jewish Encyclopedia. 2011. <http://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/articles/7535-hellenism> “Asia Minor.” Jewish Encyclopedia. 2011. <http://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/articles/2010-asia-minor>
[10] Josephus. Antiquities. Book V, Chapter 1; Book XVI, Ch. VII. Josephus. Wars. Book I, Chapter XXVI.
[11] Josephus. Antiquities. Book XVI, Chapters VIII, X; Book XVII, Chapter IV. Josephus. Wars. Book I, Chapter XXX.
[12] Josephus. Antiquities. Book XVII, Chapter I. Josephus. Wars. Book I, Chapter XII. XXII. “Herod the Great; Herodias.” Livius.org.
[13] Josephus. Antiquities. Book XV, Chapters III-VII, IX, XIII, XVI. Josephus. Wars. Book I, Chapter XXII. Bunson. Encyclopedia of the Roman Empire. “Herod the Great.”
[14] Josephus. Antiquities. Book XV, Chapters III.
[15] Josephus. Antiquities. Book XVI, Chapter XI; Book XVII, Chapter IX. Josephus. Wars. Book I, Chapter XXVII. XXXIII. Bunson. Encyclopedia of the Roman Empire. “Herod the Great.”
[16] Josephus. Antiquities. Book XVII, Chapter VI.
[17] Josephus. Antiquities. Book XVII, Chapter VI. Josephus. Wars. Book I, Chapter XXXIII.
[18] Josephus. Antiquities. Book XVII, Chapter VII. Josephus. Wars. Book I, Chapter XXXIII.