This entry is for a Biblical Person, based on a historical interpretation of the bible. See biblical.htm for more details.

King Herod I "the Great" of Judea (Ἡρώδης) (Mt 2)1,2

M, #2400202, b. c74 BCE, d. Mar/Apr 4 BC
Father*Antipater II (the Idumaea)1,3 d. 43 BCE
Mother*Cypos, (princess of Nabatea)1,3
Herod the Great

Names and TItles

Titled: Tetrarch of Galilee 42 BC.1
Titled: King of the Jews 37 BC.1
Titled: King of Judea (Herod I) 37 BC.
Variation: Herod.
Greek: Ἡρώδης (Hērṓdēs) G2264.4
Variation: King Herod I 'the Great'.
King Herod I "the Great" of Judea (Ἡρώδης) (Mt 2) was born c74 BCE.1 He was the son of Antipater II (the Idumaea) and Cypos, (princess of Nabatea).1,3 King Herod I "the Great" of Judea (Ἡρώδης) (Mt 2) married first Doris, daughter of (?).1 King Herod I "the Great" of Judea (Ἡρώδης) (Mt 2) and Doris were divorced bet 43 and 40 BCE.1 King Herod I "the Great" of Judea (Ἡρώδης) (Mt 2) married second Mariamne I, "the Hasmonean", daughter of Alexander Maccabeus and Alexandra Maccabeus, c37 BCE.1 King Herod I "the Great" of Judea (Ἡρώδης) (Mt 2) married third Mariamne II, daughter of Simon Boethus (?).1 King Herod I "the Great" of Judea (Ἡρώδης) (Mt 2) married forth Malthace.1 King Herod I "the Great" of Judea (Ἡρώδης) (Mt 2) married fifth Cleopatra (of Jerusalem) 25 BCE.5 King Herod I "the Great" of Judea (Ἡρώδης) (Mt 2) and Mariamne II were divorced 4 BCE.6 King Herod I "the Great" of Judea (Ἡρώδης) (Mt 2) died Mar/Apr 4 BC Jericho Other authorities suggest more like 1 BC.1,7
He became the father of Antipater c 46 BCE. King Herod I "the Great" of Judea (Ἡρώδης) (Mt 2) became King of Judea 37 BCE. King Herod I "the Great" of Judea (Ἡρώδης) (Mt 2) became the father of Aristobulos IV 31 BCE. King Herod I "the Great" of Judea (Ἡρώδης) (Mt 2) killed Mariamne I, "the Hasmonean" under charges of adultery 29 BCE.8 King Herod I "the Great" of Judea (Ἡρώδης) (Mt 2) became the father of Herod II Boethus 27 BCE.9 King Herod I "the Great" of Judea (Ἡρώδης) (Mt 2) became the father of Herod c24 BCE.5 King Herod I "the Great" of Judea (Ἡρώδης) (Mt 2) became the father of King Herod Archelaus (of Judea) 23 BCE.10 King Herod I "the Great" of Judea (Ἡρώδης) (Mt 2) became the father of Herod Antipas bef 20 BCE.11
CHRONOLOGY of the life of Jesus

Dating the Birth of Jesus
While we have no definative date given to determine when Jesus was born, we do have some events to give us an estimate.

  1. From the Nativity accounts, we are told that Jesus was born during the reigh of King Herod I 'the Great', who is generally agreed to have died about 4 BC, or possible in 1 BC.

  2. From the start of his ministry. It is stated that Jesus was 'about 30 years old' when he started is ministry 12

  3. One point that goes against this dating is Luke's mention of the Census of.13

After Jesus was born in Bethlehem, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem looking for him. King Herod I "the Great" of Judea (Ἡρώδης) (Mt 2) heard about them and asked the Teachers of the Law where the Christ was to be born, to which they replied Bethlehem in Judea.
King Herod I "the Great" of Judea (Ἡρώδης) (Mt 2) called the Magi and found out when the star had appeared, and sent them to Bethlehem, asking them to report to him so he could come and worship him.
The Magi followed the star and found Jesus with Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him, and presented him with gifts of gold, incense and myrrh. Having been warned in a dream not to go back to King Herod I "the Great" of Judea (Ἡρώδης) (Mt 2), they returned home by another route.14
After the Magi left, an Angel of the LORD (Bible) sppeared to Joseph in a dream and told him to take Jesus and Mary to escape to Egypt because King Herod I "the Great" of Judea (Ἡρώδης) (Mt 2) was going to try and kill Jesus.15
King Herod I "the Great" of Judea (Ἡρώδης) (Mt 2), when he realizes that the Magi had outwitted him, orders that all boys in Bethleham and vicinity, two years and under are to be killed in an attempt to kill Jesus.16
King Herod I 'the Great' was replaced as King of Judea by King Herod Archelaus (of Judea) 4 BCE.
After King Herod I "the Great" of Judea (Ἡρώδης) (Mt 2) died, an Angel of the LORD (Bible) appeared to Joseph in a dream, telling him it was safe to come back. So Joseph, Mary, and Jesus came back to Israel. On finding that King Herod Archelaus (of Judea) was on the throne, Joseph was afraid, and withdrew to the district of Galilee, and the town of Nazareth.17

Child of King Herod I "the Great" of Judea (Ἡρώδης) (Mt 2) and Doris, daughter of (?),

Child

4 Children of King Herod I "the Great" of Judea (Ἡρώδης) (Mt 2) and Mariamne I, "the Hasmonean", daughter of Alexander Maccabeus and Alexandra Maccabeus,

Children

Child of King Herod I "the Great" of Judea (Ἡρώδης) (Mt 2) and Mariamne II, daughter of Simon Boethus (?),

Child

2 Children of King Herod I "the Great" of Judea (Ἡρώδης) (Mt 2) and Cleopatra (of Jerusalem)

Children

3 Children of King Herod I "the Great" of Judea (Ἡρώδης) (Mt 2) and Malthace

Children
ChartsHerodian Dynasty
Herodian Dynasty (Indented)

Scriptures (References)

Book VerseTitle
Book of Matthew in the BibleMatthew 2:1-12The Visit of the Magi.
Book of Matthew in the BibleMatthew 2:13-15Escape to Egypt.
Book of Matthew in the BibleMatthew 2:16-18The Massaccre of the Infants.
Book of Matthew in the BibleMatthew 2:19-23The Return to Nazareth.
Book of Luke in the BibleLuke 1:5-25The Birth of John the Baptist Foretold.

Periscopes

PeriscopeMatthew Mark    Luke    John    TitleInfo.18
Periscope 6 Luke
1:5-25
The Angel Gabriel promises the birth of John to Zachariah The Temple, Jerusalem; King Herod I 'the Great', Zechariah and Elizabeth.18
Periscope 16 Matthew
2:1-12
Wise men visit from eastern lands Jesus (Ἰησοῦς) (NT), Bethlehem, Judea, King Herod I 'the Great', Magi, Jerusalem, King of the Jews, Chief Priest, Teachers of the Law, Christ (Χριστός), Israel and Mary (Μαρία) (Gospel).18
Periscope 17 Matthew
2:13-18
Joseph takes his family to Egypt Egypt; Angel of the LORD (Bible), Joseph (Ἰωσήφ) (Gospel), Egypt, King Herod I 'the Great', The LORD (Lord), Lord, Magi, Bethlehem, Jeremiah, Ramah and Rachel.18
Last Edited29 Sep 2023

Citations

  1. [S260] Wikipedia, online http://en.wikipedia.org/, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Herod_the_Great
  2. [S3] International Bible Society, editor, The Holy Bible, New International Version (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan Publishing House, 1984), Mt 2:1. Hereinafter cited as NIV.
  3. [S260] Wikipedia, online http://en.wikipedia.org/, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antipater_the_Idumaean
  4. [S3] International Bible Society, NIV, Matthew 2:1.
  5. [S260] Wikipedia, online http://en.wikipedia.org/, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cleopatra_of_Jerusalem
  6. [S260] Wikipedia, online http://en.wikipedia.org/, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mariamne_(third_wife_of_Herod).
  7. [S305] There is some argument over the date of his death, but 4 BC is the majority opinion. Josephus remarks that it was after a lunar eclipse and before a Passover, and such an eclipse occured on March 13, 4 BC, and the Passover would be the following month. There was also eclipses in 1 BC (and the one on Dec 29, 1 BC would have been a more memorable eclipse). This dating would put the birth of Jesus closer to the BC/AD line, and his age closer to 30 when he started his ministry.

    The 4 BC date, matches better with Herods reign being 37 years from his appointment in 40 BC, and when his sons are recorded as taking over.
  8. [S260] Wikipedia, online http://en.wikipedia.org/, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mariamne_(second_wife_of_Herod).
  9. [S260] Wikipedia, online http://en.wikipedia.org/, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Herod_II
  10. [S260] Wikipedia, online http://en.wikipedia.org/, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Herod_Archelaus
  11. [S260] Wikipedia, online http://en.wikipedia.org/, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Herod_Antipas
  12. [S3] International Bible Society, NIV, Luke 3:23.
  13. [S260] Wikipedia, online http://en.wikipedia.org/, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Date_of_birth_of_Jesus
  14. [S3] International Bible Society, NIV, Matthew 2:1-12.
  15. [S3] International Bible Society, NIV, Mt 2:13-15.
  16. [S3] International Bible Society, NIV, Mt 2:16-18.
  17. [S3] International Bible Society, NIV, Mt 2:19-23.
  18. [S308] Sean Boisen, Author, The Composit Gospel (Bellingham, WA: Faithliife, 2019).
  19. [S260] Wikipedia, online http://en.wikipedia.org/, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Olympias_(Herodian).
  20. [S3] International Bible Society, NIV, Matthew 2:22.