Death of King Herod

Posted on by K.B. Vogelman

Death of King Herod

King Herod’s death occurred shortly after the birth of Jesus of Nazareth making it the lynch pin date to determine the birth year of Jesus, but the year isn’t easy to determine. Standardized calendars during Antiquity do not exist; instead, timelines and dates are linked to well-known historical events.

Establishing the date of Herod’s death requires piecing together such clues as the reigns of Tiberius, King Herod and his sons; the Battle of Actium; the Jewish religious calendar; astronomy data; history accounts; etc.^[1] Nativity accounts of both Matthew and Luke report that Jesus of Nazareth was born during the lifetime of Judean King Herod.^[2]

Adding another level of complexity is “inclusive reckoning” focusing on whether a partial year was counted as a full year in historical references. The unsettled question instills a potential plus or minus factor of at least a year.^[3]

Historian Flavius Josephus is among the primary source in his books Antiquities and Wars for determining when rulers lived, how long they ruled, when they died, etc. Josephus wrote that Herod’s death occurred between the bookend events of a lunar eclipse and the following Passover that Spring.^[4]

Jewish Passover is always observed at the first full moon of the year. Historical astronomy data provided by NASA is virtually undisputed.

Tiberius Caesar began his rule as Emperor of Rome upon the death of Caesar Augustus on August 19, 14 AD. History recognizes Tiberius ruled for almost 22 1/2 years.

According to Josephus, King Herod ruled for 37 years.^[5] Philip, his son, also ruled for 37 years (Herod in the excerpt below is Herod Antipas) noting it says “the twentieth year of the reign of Tiberius.” ^[6]

“…Philip, Herod’s brother, departed this life, in the twentieth year of the reign of Tiberius after he had been tetrarch of Trachonitis, and Gaulonitis, and of the nation of Bataneana also thirty-seven years.” – Josephus (*printed)

Gutenberg-printed copies of Antiquities say that Philip died in the 20th year of Tiberius. NASA data for Jerusalem in 4 BC shows a partial, less-than-half, lunar eclipse occurred on March 13th, 4 BC, followed four weeks later by Passover on April 10th.

Determining Herod’s death year seems somewhat simple – subtract the 37 years of Philips rule from year of Tiberius’s rule (14 AD plus 20 years for the rule of Tiberius [34 AD], minus 37 of Philip’s rule) landing in 3 BC. Thus, secular history marks Herod’s death in 3 BC strongly supported by the partial lunar eclipse in 4 BC.

NASA lunar data for Jerusalem reveals another option where a lunar eclipse occurred on January 9-10, 1 BC. Passover that year was observed on April 7th.^[7]

Four weeks is between Herod’s death and Passover in the 4 BC scenario while in the 1 BC scenario the span is 12 weeks. Some people question if all the events described by Josephus could have transpired in just 4 weeks in 4 BC.^[8]

Many communications occurred during an era without telephones, computers, TV when news traveled no faster that a horse could run. News of the King Herod’s death spread across Judea and to other nations and Antiquities describes in detail events that occurred upon Herod’s death and before the upcoming Passover.

International dignitaries and top military personnel including centurions, captains and officers of the Thracians, Germans, Galatians and Gauls with full regiments wearing full battle gear, traveled to the King’s funeral in Jericho. Meanwhile, a funeral bier was built of gold embroidered by “very precious stones of a great variety” and lined with purple material “of various contexture.”

After the funeral, an elaborate and slow procession to Herodium for the King’s interment took many more days. Following the King’s burial was a 7-day morning period, then a feast was given for the people of Judea by Archelaus.

Meanwhile, an uprising among the Jews took place over King Herod’s actions with the Temple and resulting executions marked by the eclipse. Archelaus subdued and killed many of these revolters, then set sail for Rome during the Passover.

Consultant and Biblical hobbyist, David Beyer, compared the 1544 Gutenberg printings of Antiquities to two dozen older, handwritten manuscripts predating the Gutenberg press. He discovered all older handwritten Antiquities manuscripts said that Philip died in the 22^nd year of Tiberius, not the 20^th year.^[9]

Beyer’s discovery changes the calculus of the death of King Herod to the 1 BC timeframe. This timeline in 1 BC aligns with other historical information in Antiquities.

Among them, Agrippa, in 36 AD, said to Caius in a carriage ride that he wished Tiberius would die. The carriage driver told Tiberius who had Agrippa thrown into prison.^[10]

Tiberius died in 36 AD when his successor, Caius (Caligula), appointed Marullus as procurator; released Agrippa from prison and gave the open tetrarchy of Philip to him. It is highly unlikely the tetarchy of Philip was left unfilled for 3 years.

Aretas and Antipas were agitated to war “when all of Herod’s [Antipas] army was destroyed by the treachery of some fugitives, who, though they were of the tetrarchy of Philip, joined with Aretas’s army.”^[11] Secular historians date the Aretas-Antipas war to 36 AD.

Did Herod’s death actually occur in 1 BC or the traditionally accepted year of 4 BC?

Updated November 12, 2025.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

REFERENCES:

[1] Josephus, Flavius. Antiquities of the Jews. Trans. and commentary. William Whitson. The Complete Works of Josephus. 1850. Book XV, Chapter V, Book XVII, Chapters VI – Chapter VIII. <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. Trans. and commentary. William Whitson. The Complete Works of Josephus. Book I, Chapter XXXIII. “Actium (31 BCE).” 1850. <http://books.google.com/books?id=e0dAAAAAMAAJ&printsec=frontcover&source=gbs_ge_summary_r&cad=0#v=onepage&q&f=false> Livius.org. Ed. Jona Lendering. 2019. <https://www.livius.org/articles/battle/actium-31-bce> “King Herod the Great.” Livius.org. Ed. Jona Lendering. 2017. <http://www.livius.org/he-hg/herodians/herod_the_great01.html> “The Actium Project.” New World Encyclopedia. The University of South Florida and the Greek Ministry of Culture. Dir. William M. Murray. Research Project. 1997. <http://luna.cas.usf.edu/~murray/actium/brochure.html> Chesser, Preston. “The Battle of Actium.” Ohio State University. 2002. <http://ehistory.osu.edu/articles/battle-actium> Gertoux, Gerard. “Herod the Great and Jesus: Chronological, Historical and Archaeological Evidence.” Academia.edu. n.d. <https://www.academia.edu/2518046/ Gertoux, Gerard. “Dating the death of Herod.”2015 Academia.edu. <http://www.academia.edu/2518046/Dating_the_death_of_Herod/a> “World History 50-0 BC.” HistoryCentral.com. MultiEducator, Inc. n.d. <http://www.historycentral.com/dates/50bc.html> Jewish Encyclopedia. 2011. <http://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/articles/7598-herod-> “Tiberius.” Encyclopædia Britannica. 2023. <https://www.britannica.com/biography/Tiberius> Wolfram, Chuck. “The Herodian Dynasty.” 2004. <http://web.archive.org/web/20151013221102/http://freepages.history.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~cwolfram/herod> Martin, Ernest L. The Star of Bethlehem – The Star That Astonished the World. 2nd Ed. 2003. Chapter 13. A.S.K. (Associates for Scriptural Knowledge. <://web.archive.org/web/20170917115234/http://www.askelm.com/star/star015.htm> Bunson, Matthew. Encyclopedia of the Roman Empire. “Astronomy.” New York: Princeton University Library. Internet Archive. 2002. <https://archive.org/details/isbn_9780816045624> San José, Juan Antonio Revilla. “On the Year of Herod’s Death.” A partial translation from “La Fecha de Muerte de Herodes y La Estrella de Belén.” pp 14, 140. 28 Dec 1999. Astrology of the New Centaurs. <http://www.expreso.co.cr/centaurs/steiner/herod.html>
[2] Matthew 2. Luke 2.
[3] The Historical Method of Flavius Josephus. 1986. p14. <http://books.google.com/books?id=kdUUAAAAIAAJ&lpg=PA14&ots=2ek7SgCy2c&dq=josephus%2C%20battle%20of%20actium%2C%20herod&pg=PA14#v=onepage&q=josephus,%20battle%20of%20actium,%20herod&f=false>”What is Inclusive Reckoning?” WednesdayCrucifixion.com. 2024. <https://www.wednesdaycrucifixion.com/inclusive-reckoning.html#:~:text=The%20common%20mode%20of%20counting%20employed%20in%20the,nations%2C%20as%20is%20shown%20unmistakably%20by%20source%20documents> “Reckoning Tiberius’s Reign and Jesus’s Baptism.” TyndaleHouse. 2022. p 100, #3 “Way that Tiberius’s Reign May Have Been Reckoned in Antiquity”. <file:///Users/vogelman/Downloads/37789-reckoning-tiberius-s-reign-and-jesus-s-baptism-first-and-second-century-evidence-concerning-tiberius-s-fifteenth-year-luke-3-1.pdf.> Steinmann, Andrew E.; Young, Rodger. Academia.Edu. “Elapsed Times for Herod the Great in Josephus.” 2023. <https://www.academia.edu/39731184/Elapsed_Times_for_Herod_the_Great_in_Josephus?email_work_card=thumbnail>
[4] Josephus. Antiquities. Book XVII, Chapter VI.4. Josephus, Flavius. Wars of the Jews. Chapter XXXIII; Book II, Chapter I. The Complete Works of Josephus. 1850. <http://books.google.com/books?id=e0dAAAAAMAAJ&printsec=frontcover&source=gbs_ge_summary_r&cad=0#v=onepage&q&f=false>
[5] Josephus. Antiquities of the Jews. Book XVIII, Chapters IV.6. (printed copy).
[6] Whiston, William. The Works of Flavius Josephus, the Learned and Authentic Jewish Historian.” 1850. Book XVII, Chapter VI footnote t. <https://books.google.com/books?id=e0dAAAAAMAAJ&printsec=frontcover&source=gbs_ge_summary_r&hl=en#v=snippet&q=349&f=false> CR Whiston. Book XI, Chapter V, footnote t. Bernegger, P.M. “Affirmation of Herod’s Death in 4 B.C.” Journal of Theological Studies. 1983. Vol. 34, no 2, pp 526-531, <http://www.redatedkings.com/postings/Bernegger.pdf> Schurer, Emil. A History of the Jewish People in the Time of Jesus Christ. 1890. Volume 1, pp 464-465, footnote 165. <http://books.google.com/books?id=BRynO3W9FPcC&pg=PP1#v=snippet&q=Tiberius&f=false>Doig, Kenneth F. New Testament Chronology. 1990. Chapter 4. <http://nowoezone.com/NT_Chronology.htm> Philip. Bible Wiki. image. n.d. <https://bible.fandom.com/wiki/Philip_the_Tetrarch>
[7] Espenak, Fred. NASA Lunar Eclipse Website. 2007. Asia and Asia Minor – Jerusalem, Israel; Century Selection -0001 – 0100. <https://eclipse.gsfc.nasa.gov/JLEX/JLEX-AS.html> Espenak, Fred. “Six Millennium Catalog of Phases of the Moon.” NASA Eclipse Website. n.d. “Phase years Table: -0099 – 0000.” <https://archive.is/UsEwe> Kidger, Mark R. “The Date of Passover 11BC – 10AD.” <http://www.observadores-cometas.com/cometas/Star/Passover.html> Reinhold. “Other Scholarship Proving the Exact Date of Birth of Yeshua (Jesus), pt 5.”’
[8] Bernegger, P.M. “Affirmation of Herod’s Death in 4 B.C.” Journal of Theological Studies Vol. 34, no 2, pp 526-531, 1983. RedatedKings.com. n.d. <http://www.redatedkings.com/postings/Bernegger.pdf> “The Infamous Procurators of Rome 6 -66 CE. Ed Jan Lilleby. Grace Panorama. n.d. <https://www.gracepano.com/language/en/2023/04/06/the-infamous-procurators-of-rome-in-6-66-ce/> “Did Caesar and Cleopatra really have a son?” The Ancient Standard. 2010. <http://ancientstandard.com/2010/12/03/did-caesar-and-cleopatra-really-have-a-son>
[9] Beyer, David W. “Josephus Reexamined: Unraveling the Twenty-Second Year of Tiberius.” Chronos, Kairos, Christos II. Ed. Jerry Vardaman. 1998. <http://books.google.com/books?id=mWnYvI5RdLMC&lpg=PP1&dq=isbn%3A0865545820&pg=PA85#v=snippet&q=beyer&f=false> Jachowski, Raymond. Academia.Edu. “The Death of Herod the Great and the Latin Josephus: Re-Examining the Twenty-Second Year of Tiberius.” n.d. https://www academia.edu/19833193/The_Death_of_Herod_the_Great_and_the_Latin_Josephus_Re_Examining_the_Twenty_Second_Year_of_Tiberius>
[10] Jospehus. Wars. Book II, Chapter IX.5. Villalba i Varneda, Pere. The Historical Method of Flavius Josephus. 1986. p14. <http://books.google.com/books?id=kdUUAAAAIAAJ&lpg=PA14&ots=2ek7SgCy2c&dq=josephus%2C%20battle%20of%20actium%2C%20herod&pg=PA14#v=onepage&q=josephus,%20battle%20of%20actium,%20herod&f=false>
[11] Josephus. Antiquities. Book XVIII, Chapter V.1. “Herod Antipas.” Britannica Encyclopedia. 2022. <https://www.britannica.com/biography/Herod-Antipas> “Aretas.” Bible History. 2022. <https://bible-history.com/links/aretas-1067> “Aretas ( in Aramaic ) IV.:” Jewish Encyclopedia. n.d. <https://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/articles/1752-aretas>

The Magi’s Provocation of King Herod

Posted on by K.B. Vogelman

The Magi’s Provocation of King Herod

Magi had been traveling on a month’s long quest to find the newborn King of the Jews, according to Matthew.^[1] Believing their search was to be somewhere in Judea, it made perfect sense to start in Jerusalem with the King of Judea – Herod.

Promptly gaining direct access to the King, their reputation as Magi probably made that possible. First words spoken by the Magi to Herod sets the stage in the palace:

^{MT 2:2} “Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we have seen His star in the East and have come to worship him.”_{(NASB, NKJV)}

For any king, especially with the personality profile of Herod, it was an embarrassment and no king should ever be embarrassed. As the story unfolds, the King came to quickly view this child’s birth as a real threat that must be dealt with such as Herod had done many times before using whatever means necessary.^[2]

All of Jerusalem was “troubled” by the news, too. Translated from Matthew’s Greek text, the word tarasso means “to stir or agitate (roil water).”^[3^]

Servants came from among the general population, not to mention that throughout history, palaces of kings and queens notoriously have been unable to hold their secrets. Herod’s family was no exception, his family was scandalously known for their loose lips.

News from the Magi certainly shook things up undoubtedly getting the attention of everyone. Stirring the pot tends to cause people to act in peculiar ways.

Word about a new king undoubtedly raised hopes, yet at the same time, it was just as troubling. A newborn king of the Jews – who was his father if it wasn’t Herod?

Would the new king be worse than Herod or hopefully a good king? Regardless, it would still be years before this new king would begin his reign.

A child worthy of worship by the reputed king-makers? Could the babe even be the promised Messiah?

Processing in his mind the Magi’s alarming news, after the Magi left the palace, the King immediately assembled “all the chief priests and scribes of the people.” Making it clear he believed the Magi’s proclamation, he asked the Jewish religion experts to determine “where the Christ was to be born.”^[4]

Herod used the Greek word, Christos, translated as “Christ” or “Anointed” and asked where he was to be born? Jewish religion experts understood the King’s question and responded, “In Bethlehem of Judea” citing the prophecy of Micah.^[5]

Upon hearing Micah’s prophecy, the King’s focus changed. No star was mentioned in Micah’s prophecy nor recorded by Matthew in the response from the chief priests and scribes.

Matthew does not say Herod was unaware of the star event – it can only be said that he did not know when it had occurred. Events in the sky would likely have been a relatively petty matter to the King prior the Magi’s visit, especially considering his bigger political problems in the kingdom, with Rome, and scheming family affairs.

As religion experts, they were likely fully aware of Balaam’s prophecy of a star coming forth from Jacob signifying a ruler of Israel.^[6] Maybe they mentioned this to Herod, maybe not, regardless the King believed the Magi.

Up to this point, the actual appearance of the star witnessed by the Magi astronomers had been only incidental information. Had the star been the most attention-getting news from the Magi, a cynical Herod would have been expected to question it, even scoff at it – he didn’t.

One thing is for certain, Herod had a new fixation: when did this star appear? It was a detail that did not pass his attention and was now important – the information would establish a timeline.

Summoning the Magi back to the palace, Herod wanted this second meeting to be in secret. Since word was all over Jerusalem about the Magi’s initial visit to the palace, the secrecy of the second meeting strongly suggests the King had something to hide.

Herod now possessed two details of interest to the Magi – Micah’s prophecy corroborating the birth of a Jewish ruler and the general location of Bethlehem where he could be found. He could use this information as leverage to learn when the star had appeared. During this second meeting, Herod answered the question of the Magi.

Wanted by Herod was one other thing … the Magi were asked to report back to him with the exact location of the child. Of course, he said, it was under the pretense that he, too, could worship the new king.

In Bethlehem, the Magi found Jesus and worshiped him offering expensive gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. The Magi may have intended to inform Herod of the child’s whereabouts until they were warned in a dream not to go back to Herod.

Returning home by another route the Magi avoided Jerusalem. Herod soon realized he had been duped and became enraged, then ordered all the children 2 years and younger to be killed in the district of Bethlehem based on the timing of the star’s first appearance ascertained from the Magi.

King Herod was more than capable of such cruelty. Among many murders, he had killed a chief priest, his second wife, her grandfather, her two sons and would soon execute his firstborn son by his first wife.^[7]

His cruelty extended even to his death bed. The King summoned all the principal men of Judea to Jericho, locked them in the hippodrome, and gave orders to have them killed just to deny them the opportunity to gloat over his death.^[8]

Does Herod’s reactions ring true to the Magi’s declaration that the Messiah, King of the Jews, had been born in Bethlehem?

Updated November 27, 2024.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

REFERENCES:

[1] 1, 3, 6, 7; Book XVI, Ch.VII, VIII, X; Book XVII, Ch. IV “Trade between the Romans and the Empires of Asia.” 2000. Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History. <http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/silk/hd_silk.htm> “Trade Routes.” Smithsonian|The National Museum of American History. n.d. <http://web.archive.org /web/20160618154742/http://americanhistory.si.edu/numismatics/parthia/frames/pamaec.htm> “46178 -wisemen-magi-jesusbirth.” KFAX AM 1100. photo. n.d. <https://media.swncdn.com/cms/CW/46178-wisemen-magi-jesusbirth.1200w.tn.jpg> Flavius. Antiquities of the Jews. Book XV, Ch.VII-VIII; Book XVI, Ch. VIII, XI, IX, XIII, XVI. Book XVII, Ch. I, V. Josephus. Wars. Book I, Ch. XVIII, XXII, XXIV, XXXI, XXXIII. The Complete Works of Josephus. 1850. <http://books.google.com/books?id=e0dAAAAAMAAJ&printsec=frontcover&source=gbs_ge_summary_r&cad=0#v=onepage&q&f=false> Strabo. Geography. Chapters II-III. n.d. <http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus:text:1999.01.0239:book=1:chapter=2&highlight=magi > <http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus:text:1999.01.0239:book=15:chapter=3&highlight=magi > Diogenes Laertius. Lives of Eminent Philosophers. n.d. <http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus:text:1999.01.0258:book=1:chapter=prologue&highlight=magi > Stillwell, Richard et. al. “Gaza Israel.” The Princeton Encyclopedia of Classical Sites. n.d. <http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus:text:1999.04.0006:entry=gaza&highlight=caravan >
[2] Josephus. Antiquities. Book V, Ch. 1; Book XV, Ch., VI. Josephus. Wars. Book I, Ch. XXVI, XXII, XXIV, XXVI, XXX, XXXI. “Herod the Great.” 2017. Livius.org. <http://www.livius.org/articles/person/herod-the-great
[3] Net.bible.org. Matthew 2:2 Greek text. <http://classic.net.bible.org/verse.php?book=Mat&chapter=2&verse=2> Strong, James, LL.D., S.T.D. The New Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible. “tarasso <5015>” Thomas Nelson, Inc. 1990.
[4] NET, NIV, NASB, NRSV, NKJV.
[5] Matthew 2:5. NET, NIV, NASB, NRSV, NKJV. Matthew 2:4. NetBible.org. Greek text. “5547.” n.d. <https://classic.net.bible.org/verse.php?book=Mat&chapter=2&verse=4> “G5547.” LexiConcordance..com. n.d. <http://lexiconcordance.com/greek/5547.html>
[6] Maimonides, Moses. Mishneh Torah. “The Law Concerning Moshiach.” Kesser.org. n.d. <http://www.kesser.org/moshiach/rambam.html#SIE> Rich, Tracey R. “Mashiach: The Messiah.” Judaism101. 2011. <http://www.jewfaq.org/mashiach.htm
[7] Josephus. Antiquities. Book XV, Ch. III-VII, IX, XIII, XVI; Book XVI, Ch. XI; Book XVII, Ch. IX.
Josephus. Wars. Book I, Chapter XXII, XXVII, XXXIII.
[8] Josephus. Antiquities. Book XVII, Ch. VI. Josephus. Wars. Book I, Ch. XXXIII.

Herod – Profile of a Cruel & Cunning King

Posted on by K.B. Vogelman

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, Herod 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 October 5, 2025.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

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&gt > 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.