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Herod the Great
king of Judea 37–4 BC· Person· People
Historical recordConfirmed by archaeology, outside sources or contemporary records.
The Rome-backed king of Judea from 37 to 4 BC, a brilliant builder and a ruthless, suspicious ruler.
See it on the Bible & Christianity map →What it is
The son of an Idumean (Edomite) official, Herod was named 'King of the Jews' by the Roman Senate in 40 BC and took Jerusalem in 37 BC. He built the port of Caesarea, the fortresses of Masada and Herodium, and a vast new Temple. Fearing plots, he executed his wife Mariamne and three of his sons. Matthew 2 says he ordered the killing of Bethlehem's infant boys. After his death in 4 BC, Rome split his kingdom among three sons.
Why it matters
His reign dates Jesus' birth to before 4 BC, and his building projects created the Jerusalem and Temple of the Gospels.
Life, legacy and sources
Josephus gives a detailed account. Caesarea, Masada and Herodium survive, and in 2007 archaeologist Ehud Netzer found what he identified as Herod's tomb at Herodium.
Questions and debates
No source outside Matthew records the massacre of the infants; some historians doubt it, others note a small village's loss could go unrecorded. A minority dates his death to 1 BC.
Connections (3)
▸Rome conquers Judea installed as king Herod the GreatHistorical record
The connection
When the Parthians invaded Judea in 40 BC, Herod fled to Rome, where Mark Antony and Octavian had the Senate name him King of Judea. With Roman troops he captured Jerusalem in 37 BC, then ruled as a loyal 'client king', keeping order and paying tribute.
When and where
Rome, 40 BC; Jerusalem, 37 BC; confirmed by Octavian (later Augustus) after the Battle of Actium in 31 BC.
Historical evidence
Josephus (Antiquities 14–17; Jewish War 1) gives the full account; Roman sources and Herod's coins and inscriptions confirm his status.
Questions and debates
How his Jewish subjects saw him, an Idumean whose family had converted to Judaism, is debated: a legitimate king or a Roman puppet?
▸Herod the Great rebuilt on a grand scale The Second TempleHistorical record
The connection
Around 20 BC Herod began rebuilding the Temple, roughly doubling the Temple Mount with massive retaining walls. He trained priests as builders so the sacred areas stayed in priestly hands. Work went on long after his death, finishing about AD 63, only seven years before Rome destroyed it.
When and where
Jerusalem, from c. 20 BC; the remark that the Temple 'has taken forty-six years to build' (John 2:20) fits this date.
Historical evidence
Josephus describes it; the Western Wall, Robinson's Arch and stones over 13 meters long survive. The Talmud says whoever has not seen Herod's building has never seen a beautiful building.
Questions and debates
Exactly where the sanctuary stood on the platform, now the site of the Dome of the Rock, is uncertain, and excavation there is not permitted.
▸Herod the Great ruled Judea at the time of Birth of Jesus in Bethlehem (Christmas)Mostly agreed by scholars
The connection
Matthew 2 and Luke 1:5 date Jesus' birth to 'the days of Herod, king of Judea'. Matthew says Magi asked Herod where the new 'king of the Jews' was born. In Matthew's account Herod, fearing a rival, ordered all boys under two in Bethlehem killed, and Joseph fled with the family to Egypt until Herod died.
When and where
Bethlehem and Jerusalem; Herod died in 4 BC, so Jesus was likely born about 6–4 BC.
How do we know?
Herod's reign is firmly dated, which is why the 'AD 1' fixed by the monk Dionysius Exiguus in AD 525 is now thought several years late.
Questions and debates
Josephus places a lunar eclipse shortly before Herod's death. Most scholars match it to March 4 BC; a minority prefer January 1 BC, which would push Jesus' likely birth later.