Herod Who?

 Which Herod was it? The New Testament is filled with references to a “Herod” as a king, in fact, about 45 times. However, it references on to the time of Jesus birth along with another who killed James and imprisoned Peter. Were they the same person? Why did they want to kill Jews and then followers of Christ? Lets take a dive into biblical history and find out.

 

To lay out the current context in the New Testament, we first have to travel back to the Old Testament timeline. In 323 BC, Alexander the Great (who was a Macedonian Greek) died. This led to three of his generals fighting for his empire, (I will use the modern names of the places they took over for ease of reading). Seleucus took over Syria and Asia Minor, Ptolemy took control of Egypt and Israel, and Antigonus secured Greece itself. For 125 years, the Land of Israel was between a rock and a hard place with both the Seleucids and the Ptolemies battling for more land to include Israel. The Seleucids finally won in 198 BC when Antiochus III defeated the Ptolemies and engulfed Israel into its own empire. The Seleucid line followed the polytheistic beliefs of Ancient Greece however for a time, allowed the Jews to continue to practice their monotheistic beliefs however with the influence of Hellenism. In 176 BC, Antiochus III son, Antiochus IV, assumes the throne and he tries to force the Jews to his beliefs, outlawing observation of the Sabbath, circumcision, erecting a altar to Zeus in the Temple of Jerusalem, and allowing the sacrifice of pigs in the Temple.

 

Ok, so bad guys ruling Israel, and what do the Jews do? Well, they revolt with a hammer! In 167 BC, the family led by a priest named Mattathias begins to lead a rebellion. Biblically, this family became known as the Maccabees, from the Hebrew word for “hammer” referencing striking blows against their enemies like a hammer. And yes, this is the same book included the Protestant Apocrypha, and both the Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodoxy canonical scriptures. In secular history, this family became known as the Hasmoneans. Over the years, the Hasmoneans not only defeated Antiochus IV, reclaimed Jerusalem, purified the temple (which gave birth to the Jewish holiday of Hanukkah), but also over its roughly 80 year reign regained boundaries close to Solomons realm and Jewish life abounded. Unfortunately, this would not last and the once great family began to falter, included two brothers fighting for the throne, and being duped by a forced convert advisor, Antipater, who would later become the father of the first Herod. Boom, see, you thought I forgot what this post was about, but were bringing it back. Ok, so as this infighting is going on, the Roman Empire is being formed. 

 

A Roman General by the name of Pompey is conquering nations all around the Land of Israel but because the Hasmoneans had a fearsome reputation of guerrilla warfare (the Romans referred to them as porcupines), he holds off on attacking the small nation. Pompey slow rolls it, avoids war, sends delegations, and waits for the two Hasmonean brothers, Hyrcanus and Arisobulus, who are still fighting each other for the throne, and the Sanhedrin to start begging for his assistance in putting the country under one of their rule. Pompey decides to side with Hyrcanus and after demolishing the troops Arisobulus, Pompey withdraws from Jerusalem knowing that Hyrcanus has pledged his allegiance to the Roman Empire.

 

But how did the Hasmonean Dynasty end? We’re almost there. So as this is going on, the Roman Empire begins fighting, primarily between Pompey and Julius Caesar. They both want to be emperor.  So remember that Hyrcanus has this shrewd advisor named Antipater? Well he advises Hyrcanus to switch allegiance from Pompey to Julius Caesar because it looks like his winning. So Hyrcanus sends an army to support Julius and after Julius victory, he shows his gratitude to Hyrcanus and the Jewish people, allows them to rebuild fortifications, reduced taxes, even gave Hyrcanus the title of High Priest…but…not the title of king. Thus ends the Hasmonean dynasty. I know, pretty anti-climatic right? So even though the title of king is in name only and just a puppet of Rome, who got that title? If you guessed Antipater, you guessed right.

 

So now begins the Herodian Dynasty. So in 37 BC, Antipater son, Herod takes over. This is the Herod referenced in Matthew 2:1-19, and Luke 1:5. He is known by many names to include Herod the great or Herod the builder, but he is the one that tried to put Jesus to death when Jesus was born. Herod the great had three sons all who contested the throne. Archelaus, Herod Antipas, and Herod Philip. Herod Antipas was the Herod in reference to the time of John the baptist and at the time of Jesus Crucifixion as referenced in Mark 6, Luke 23:7-12, and Acts 4:27.

 

In Acts 12, another Herod is referenced as a persecutor of the Apostles. This however was Herod Agrippa, who usurped the throne from his uncle via the Emperor of Rome, Caligula. Emperor Caligula instated Agrippa as king of the region but knowing himself that he was raised in Rome and not of direct bloodline to the beloved Hasmoneans, he attempts to win the hearts of the Jews by persecuting the followers of Christ. So in Acts 12, when Herod kills James and the Jewish people are happy, he decides to do it again, to Peter. But its Passover and he doesn’t want to anger the people he is now ruling, so he just imprisons Peter and subsequently, Peter is led out of prison by an Angel and boom there we are.

 

See, it took a bit to get there but hopefully now you have a better grasp of who the Herods were, and why Herod Agrippa would go after the followers of Christ.