Easton's Bible Dictionary
Herod the Great
(Matthew 2:1-22; Luke 1:5; Acts 23:35), the son of Antipater, an Idumaean, and
Cypros, an Arabian of noble descent. In the year B.C. 47 Julius Caesar made
Antipater, a "wily Idumaean," procurator of Judea, who divided his territories
between his four sons, Galilee falling to the lot of Herod, who was afterwards
appointed tetrarch of Judea by Mark Antony (B.C. 40), and also king of Judea by
the Roman senate.
He was of a stern and cruel disposition. "He was brutish and a stranger to all
humanity." Alarmed by the tidings of one "born King of the Jews," he sent
forth and "slew all the children that were in Bethlehem, and in all the coasts
thereof, from two years old and under" (Matthew 2:16). He was fond of splendour,
and lavished great sums in rebuilding and adorning the cities of his empire. He
rebuilt the city of Caesarea (q.v.) on the coast, and also the city of Samaria
(q.v.), which he called Sebaste, in honour of Augustus. He restored the ruined
temple of Jerusalem, a work which was begun B.C. 20, but was not finished till
after Herod's death, probably not till about A.D. 50 (John 2:20). After a
troubled reign of thirty-seven years, he died at Jericho amid great agonies both of
body and mind, B.C. 4, i.e., according to the common chronology, in the year in
which Jesus was born.
After his death his kingdom was divided among three of his sons. Of these,
Philip had the land east of Jordan, between Caesarea Philippi and Bethabara,
Antipas had Galilee and Peraea, while Archelaus had Judea and Samaria.
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Copyright Statement
These dictionary topics are from M.G. Easton M.A., D.D., Illustrated Bible
Dictionary, Third Edition, published by Thomas Nelson, 1897. Public Domain, copy
freely.
Bibliography Information
Easton, Matthew George. "Entry for 'Herod the Great'". "Easton's Bible
Dictionary". 1897.