Herod's Family

The Herodians in the Bible

Herod the Great embraced the elite Roman culture of luxury and unessential. This passion with Rome, along with generous gifts, established him among influential Romans and the Senate. He was appointed procurator of Judea by Julius Caesar in 47 B.C. Because of his loyalty to Rome he was appointed king of the Jews (at the suggestion of his friends Mark Anthony and Octavian) by the Roman Senate in 40 B.C. While there was great opposition from the Jews (because Herod was not a member of the royal family) he eventually took possession of the kingdom in 37 B.C.

Herod the Great was well learned, had attested himself in diplomacy and battle, and had undertaken many elaborate building projects, but he is best remembered for his cruelty. Any threat, real or imagined, was quickly resolve, like in the slaughter of the infants of Bethlehem (Matthew chapter 2) Herod the Great died at the age of 70 (4 B.C.), within years of the birth of Jesus and John the Baptist.

Nero was the fifth of the Roman Emperors. He reigned for 14 years, from 54 to 68 AD, with the official name Nero Claudius Caesar Augustus Germanicus. Nero was born at Antium (Anzio), Italy, on December 15 37 A.D. His father was Gnaeus Domitius Anenobarbus, a great-grandson of Caesar Augustus - the Roman emperor at the time of the birth of the Lord Jesus Christ (Luke 2:1). Nero's mother, Agrippina II, was the great-granddaughter of Caesar Augustus, and brother of Caligula, the third Roman emperor. Nero's father died when he was about 3 years old. After Caligula confiscated their family wealth, he and his mother found themselves quite poor for a time. Things changed dramatically when Agrippina married her uncle, the emperor Claudius. That marriage was the means of Nero's rise to power. Agrippina managed to get Nero adopted not only as a son of Claudius, but the heir to the throne before Claudius' actual sons. With the line of succession taken care of, Agrippina took the final step on October 13 54 A.D. by murdering her husband-uncle with poisoned mushrooms. Nero became the emperor of the mighty Roman Empire at the age of 17.

Agrippina was very influential with the young Nero at first, but as might be expected from the example that she had set, he gradually became detached with her. He had her removed from the palace in 55 A.D., and ordered her murder in 59 A.D. From then on, Nero became increasing vicious and self-indulgent. Nero is perhaps most famous for the great fire of Rome in 64 AD. It started in the Circus Maximus before raging through the city for 9 days. It is unlikely that Nero himself started the fire, as is popularly believed, because he was in Antium at the time. Whether he ordered it started is another matter - he had long wanted to make room for a grand new city that he had designed. To divert suspicion away from him, Nero blamed the great fire on the Christians, thereby beginning a persecution of innocent people that has never been surpassed. Many were killed by wild animals before crowds of spectators in the arena, while others were tied to posts, covered with flammable material, and used as human street lamps for Nero's gardens. It is difficult to imagine a more evil man. As was nearly always the case with the Roman emperors, plots were continuously in the making to overthrow Nero, including the Pisonian Conspiracy in 65 AD. However, Nero was sly enough to keep away from all the traps for a number of years. Every failed plot just made him more vicious. Nero's reign ended June 9 68 A.D. at the age of 31, when he committed suicide.

Mark Antony's involvement with Cleopatra was a serious threat to Herod since she wanted to reunite Judaea and Syria with the Ptolemaic kingdom. Following the battle of Actium, in which Egypt fell to Rome, Herod's position was assured because of his loyalty to Octavian (who was now the new emperor Augustus.)

To eliminate any threat from the Hasmonaean family, whom he had displaced from the throne, Herod systematically had their leaders killed. (Including his Hasmonaean wife Mariamne, and the two son's she had bore him.) Even though Herod tried in many ways to pacify the Jews, including the restoration of the temple, they never did forgive him for destroying the royal family.

Antipas, or Herod the tetrarch, inherited his title along with the Galilean and Peraean sections of his father's, Herod the Great's, kingdom. He divorced his first wife, the daughter of Nabataean king Aretas, to marry his niece Herodias, who was his half-brother Philip's wife. John the Baptist denounced this marriage as unlawful. Because of John's large following, Antipas was careful not to over react. However, on the instance of Herodias, Antipas had John imprisoned. Then on the occasion of Antipas' birthday Herodias coaxed her daughter, Salome, to "dance naked before the kingand his court." In appreciation of this Antipa offered Salome any gift she desire. Her request, as instructed by her mother, was for the head of John the Baptist (Mt 14:6; Mk 6:22.)

Herod Antipas was the son of Herod the Great and his Samaritan wife Malthace. He was tetrarch of Galilee during all of the Lord Jesus' humanity. Unlike his father, who had tried and failed to have The Savior killed, this Herod saw it happen. He was the Herod that spoke with Jesus Christ after His arrest that significant night (Luke 23:6-12), before sending Him back to Pontius Pilate.

It was also this Herod who earlier had John the Baptist beheaded (Matthew 14:1-12) at the initiation of Herodias, the wife of his half-brother Herod-Philip, whom he had married.

Following this Antipas' former father-in-law, king Aretas of Arabia, waged war against Antipas over a border dispute (at the urging of his daughter who Antipas had discarded to marry Herodias.) Antipas was badly defeated in this war and sent to Rome for help. Legions were dispatched but before they could punish king Aretas emperor Tiberius died. Caligula, the new emperor was not concerned over this matter so the army turned around and went home. The Jews believed this defeat of Antipas was God's punishment for killing John the Baptist. Antipas is the Herod that Pilate sent Jesus to. Antipas simply asked idle questions and mocked him before sending him back to be crucified (Luke 23:7).

Herod Agrippa I was the son of Aristobulus and Bernice, and grandson of Herod the Great. He was tetrarch of the provinces previously ruled by Lysanias II, but eventually he possessed the entire kingdom of his grandfather, with the title of king.

It was this Herod that had James, the brother of John, executed (Acts 12:1-2). He then imprisoned Peter with the intention of killing him also (Acts 12:3-5), but God send an angel to bring Peter out (Acts 12:6-10).

Like all of the others, Herod Agrippa had a very high opinion of himself until one day, about 44 A.D., it went too far - he, in effect, claimed to be divine (Acts 12:21-23). "Immediately an angel of The Lord smote him, because he did not give God the glory; and he was eaten by worms and died."

When Agrippa became king of the Jews, Antipas' wife Herodias was envious. Although Antipas was content with his situation, Herodias continually nagged her husband that he should be king, not his nephew Agrippa. Eventually Herodias wore Antipas down and he agreed to petition the emperor to be made king.

When Agrippa learned of his uncle's plan, he sent a messenger to his old friend emperor Caligula with letters accusing Antipas of planning a revolt. When Caligula asked Antipas if he had armor for seventy thousand men, as claimed in Agrippa's letters, he couldn't deny it - this was common knowledge. Caligula considered this sufficient proof of Antipas guilt, and rewarded Agrippa for warning him of the revolt by giving him his uncle's tetrarchy as well as his wealth. Antipas was banished to Gaul (A.D. 39.) When Herodias challenged the emperors decision against Antipas, her wealth was also given to Agrippa, and she was banished to Gaul with her husband.

Herod Agrippa II was the son of Herod Agrippa I and Cypros, and great-grandson of Herod the Great. Claudius (see Roman Emperors) made him tetrarch of the provinces of Philippi and Lysanias, with the title of king. He enlarged the city of Caesarea Philippi, and called it Neronias, in honor of Emperor Nero. It was before him and Bernice that Paul made his defense at Caesarea (Acts 25:13-27, 26:1-32). Herod Agrippa II died at Rome about 100 A.D.

Agrippa, or Herod the King, lived an extravagant life, so much so that he was deeply in debt. But because of his family, and friends in Rome, there was always someone to save him from the trouble he would get in. However, Agrippa had once told his friend Caius that he looked forward to the day when Emperor Tiberius would die and Caius would become emperor. Later Agrippa accused Eutychus, a freeman, of stealing some of his clothing. Since Eutychus had overheard Agrippa's comment to Caius, he asked that the charges against him be brought before the emperor. Doing so gave Eutychus the opportunity to embellish the story and tell Tiberius of Agrippa's desire to see him dead. This landed Agrippa in prison.

After six months in prison news came that Tiberius was dead and Agrippa's good friend Caius was now the new emperor Caligula. Agrippa and his guards were celebrating the good news with wine when word came that the emperor was not dead, but only sick. Agrippa was immediately beaten and thrown back in his cell, the guards fearing that should news of their party get out they would certainly be killed. But, in the morning it was learned that the Tiberius was indeed dead.

Emperor Caligula not only released his old friend Agrippa from prison, but also made him king of north east Palestine. When his uncle Antipas was banished to Gaul, Galilee and Peraea were added to Agrippa's kingdom. Then when Claudius became emperor, Judaea and Samaria were added to his kingdom.

Agrippa is best remembered for the death of the Lord Jesus' brother James, imprisoning Paul (Acts 12:21), and his illicit sexual relationship with his sister Bernice. He died at the age of 54 (A.D. 44.)

Herod the Great Lineage

02/21/07