Herod the Great

Herod and His Wife Mariamne

Herod enjoyed the so-called success of his kingdom, but things in Judea were far from peaceful. While he was at Rhodes, Mariamne had found out from one of Herod's friends named Soemus that Herod gave the order for her to be killed if he was executed. Therefore when Herod returned she was bitter toward him. Herod was very aware of all these things. ...

Read More

The Construction of Herod's Temple

Once things commenced, under no circumstances were the services to be interrupted. Herod hired workmen by the thousands. Among them were many priests to build those portions not accessible to ordinary Jews. The work was started by leveling larger portions of the Temple Mount, so that the new building might be erected on a broader base. It was ...

Read More

Herod and the Last of the Relatives of Hyrcanus

The Death of the Last of the Hasmoneans. After a long period of depression over Mariamne, Herod began his bloodshed once again and executed the last of the male relatives of Hyrcanus, anyone who could dispute his occupancy of the throne....

Read More

Herod’s Roman Eagle

The Temple took many years to build. Begun in 19 BC, it was not finished till long after Herod's death. The Jews prided in Herod's accomplishment until Herod placed a huge Roman eagle over the most important gate of the new Temple. Before long there was a conspiracy to pull the eagle down. When rumor circulated that Herod was dying, a group of...

Read More

Herod and the Parthians

It wasn't long before the new tetrarchs of Judea had to deal with the Parthians who had appeared in Syria in 40 B.C. Pacorus, the prince of Parthia, joined forces with Antigonus in order to seize the throne of Hyrcanus and give it to Antigonus. With the invading of Jerusalem by the Parthians a civil war broke out and fighting went on every day in t...

Read More