Authored By :
Bill Kochman
Published On :
June 14, 2020
Last Updated :
June 14, 2020
"So he carried me away in the spirit into the wilderness: and I saw a woman sit upon a scarlet coloured beast, full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns . . . And the angel said unto me, Wherefore didst thou marvel? I will tell thee the mystery of the woman, and of the beast that carrieth her, which hath the seven heads and ten horns. The beast that thou sawest was, and is not; and shall ascend out of the bottomless pit, and go into perdition: and they that dwell on the earth shall wonder, whose names were not written in the book of life from the foundation of the world, when they behold the beast that was, and is not, and yet is. And here is the mind which hath wisdom. The seven heads are seven mountains, on which the woman sitteth. And there are seven kings: five are fallen, and one is, and the other is not yet come; and when he cometh, he must continue a short space. And the beast that was, and is not, even he is the eighth, and is of the seven, and goeth into perdition."
Revelation 17:3, 7-11, KJV
1. Antipater I the Idumaean (born ???, died 43 B.C.). He was the founder of the Herodian Dynasty and the father of Herod the Great by his Nabataean -- Arab -- wife Cypros, who was a noblewoman. According to Josephus, Antipater I was the son of Antipas and had formerly held that name. Thus, while being an Edomite by descent, his ancestors had converted to Judaism. Antipater was a high-ranking official under ethnarch Hyrcanus II and was eventually appointed as the first Roman Procurator of Judaea by Julius Caesar.
2. King Herod the Great (born 74/73 B.C., died 4 B.C.), a.k.a. Herod I. He was the second son of Antipater the Idumaean, but was raised as a Jew. He ruled Judaea as a puppet king of Rome from 37 B.C. to 4 B.C., although he also served as provincial governor of Galilee from about 47 B.C. He was responsible for renovating and expanding the Second Temple, and performing other architectural projects. Herod the Great was responsible for the Massacre of the Innocents which is mentioned in the following set of verses:
"Then Herod, when he saw that he was mocked of the wise men, was exceeding wroth, and sent forth, and slew all the children that were in Bethlehem, and in all the coasts thereof, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had diligently enquired of the wise men. Then was fulfilled that which was spoken by Jeremy the prophet, saying, In Rama was there a voice heard, lamentation, and weeping, and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children, and would not be comforted, because they are not."
Matthew 2:16-18, KJV
3. Salome I (born circa 65 B.C., died circa 10 A.D.). She was the sister of Herod the Great, and the mother of Berenice, Antipater IV and an unnamed daughter. She was given a toparchy by Emperor Augustus which included the cities of Iamnia, Azotus and Phasaelis, and served as a nominal queen regnant of the same from 4 B.C. and forward.
4. Antipater II (born circa 46 B.C., died 4 B.C.). He was Herod the Great's first-born son and only child by Herod's first wife, Doris. He received his name from his paternal grandfather Antipater the Idumaean. Antipater II married his niece, Mariamne III, who was the daughter of Aristobulus IV his brother. Antipater II -- and his mother Doris -- were exiled by Herod the Great after Herod divorced Doris in order to marry his second wife, Mariamne I. However, after Herod had his two sons by Mariamne I executed in 7 B.C. -- that is, Aristobulus IV and Alexander -- Antipater II became exclusive successor to the throne. But then he was later charged with intending to murder his father. Having been found guilty, and with a sentence of death approved by Caesar Augustus, he lost his right to the throne, and was executed in 4 B.C. At that point, Herod Antipas became the exclusive successor to Herod the Great's throne. Thus, Antipater II was never a king or a tetrarch.
5. Alexander II (born circa 35 B.C., died 7 B.C.) He was one of Herod the Great's sons by Herod's second wife Mariamne I, who was a Hasmonean. Like his younger brother Aristobulus IV, he lived most of his life outside of Judaea and studied in the royal court of Rome. Alexander II married the Cappadocian Princess Glaphyra, who was the daughter of King Archelaus of Cappadocia. Later, upon returning to Jerusalem, Alexander II was eventually charged with high treason, and along with his brother, Aristobulus IV, was strangled by order of Herod his father in the year 7 B.C. Thus, Alexander II never became a king or a tetrarch.
6. Aristobulus IV (born 31 B.C., died 7 B.C.). He was one of King Herod the Great's sons by Herod's second wife Mariamne I who was a Hasmonean princess. He married his cousin, Berenice, who was the daughter of Costobarus and Salome I. Aristobulus IV lived most of his life outside of Judaea and studied in the Imperial court of Rome with his brother Alexander II. Later, upon returning to Jerusalem, Herod the Great had Aristobulus and his brother Alexander II strangled on false charges of treason in 7 B.C. Ironically, twenty-two years earlier in 29 B.C., their mother Mariamne I had been executed by Herod the Great due to Herod's fear of rivalry from the Hasmoneans, and based on the false charge that Mariamne plotted to have Hero murdered. Thus, Aristobulus IV never became a king or even a tetrarch.
7. Herod II (born circa 27 B.C., died 33/34 A.D.), a.k.a Herod Philip I. He was the son of Herod the Great by Herod's third wife, Mariamne II. For a brief period, Herod II was his father's heir. However, due to resistance from Herod's eldest son, Antipater II, after Herod had married his granddaughter, -- Herodias -- to Herod II, Herod the Great demoted Herod II to second in line to succession to the throne. However, once Antipater II was executed under the charge that he intended to poison his father, Herod II once again became the heir apparent, being as he was Herod the Great's eldest surviving son. But alas, being as his mother, Mariamne II, was aware of the plot to murder her husband, and apparently did nothing to try to stop it from happening, Herod II once again fell out of favor. Eventually, he an his wife Herodias moved to Rome where they lived as private citizens. Herodias later married Herod II's half-brother, Herod Antipas.
About the Herodian Tetrarchy:
The Herodian Tetrarchy was created by Emperor Augustus Caesar following the death of Herod the Great in 4 B.C. Based on the final version of Herod's will, Augustus divided the kingdom into four parts to be shared between Herod's three sons, and his sister Salome I. Herod Archelaus was named ethnarch. An ethnarch was the governor of a district. While an ethnarch was viewed as being lower in status than an actual king by the Romans, he was the senior ruler and higher in rank than the tetrarchs. Herod Antipas and Philip were named tetrarchs, and Salome I shortly ruled the toparchy of Jamnia -- that is, the coastal plain city of Jabneh -- Azotus -- today known as Ashdod -- and Phasaelis -- today known as Fasayil in the West Bank.
8. Philip the Tetrarch (born 26 B.C., died 34 A.D.), a.k.a. Herod Philip II. He was the son of Herod the Great by Herod's fifth wife, Cleopatra of Jerusalem. Please note that she was not the famous Egypt queen Cleopatra who had an affair with Mark Antony. Philip the Tetrarch ruled the northeastern part of his father's kingdom from 4 B.C. until his death in 34 A.D. Unlike his brothers Herod Antipas and Herod Archelaus, Philip did not use the dynastic title Herod Philip. Philip married Salome, who was the daughter of Herod II and Herodias. Philip is mentioned by name in the following verses:
"Now in the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, Pontius Pilate being governor of Judaea, and Herod being tetrarch of Galilee, and his brother Philip tetrarch of Ituraea and of the region of Trachonitis, and Lysanias the tetrarch of Abilene . . . But Herod the tetrarch, being reproved by him for Herodias his brother Philips wife, and for all the evils which Herod had done,"
Luke 3:1, 19, KJV
9. King Herod Archelaus (born 23 B.C., died 18 A.D.). He was the son of Herod the Great by Herod's wife, the Samaritan Malthace. He ruled as ethnarch of the Tetrarchy of Judea -- Samaria, Judaea, and Idumea (a.k.a. Edom), including the two cities of Caesarea and Jaffa -- from 4 B.C. to 6 A.D. during the reign of Caesar Augustus, who was the first emperor of the Roman Empire. Herod Archelaus was proclaimed king by the army, but he chose not to assume the title until after he had submitted his claims to Augustus in Rome. In 4 B.C. Augustus allotted to him the greater part of the kingdom, while Philip and Herod Antipas each received half as much territory.
Archelaus' first wife may have been Mariamne III, who was the daughter of Aristobulus IV. He divorced her in order to marry Glaphyra, who was the widowed wife of Alexander II, who had been murdered by Herod the Great. To make matters worse, her second husband -- Juba king of Mauretania -- was still alive. So because of his blatant acts of adultery according to the laws of the Jews, and his cruelty to the Jews, Archelaus fell out of favor and was removed from being ethnarch by Augustus when Judaea province was formed under direct Roman rule at the time of the Census of Quirinius. He was then banished to Vienna in Gaul, which today is Vienne in southeastern France. Archelaus is mentioned in Matthew 2:13–23, particularly in this verse:
"But when he [Joseph] heard that Archelaus did reign in Judaea in the room of his father Herod, he was afraid to go thither: notwithstanding, being warned of God in a dream, he turned aside into the parts of Galilee:"
Matthew 2:22, KJV
10. Herod Antipas (born before 20 B.C., died after 39 A.D.), a.k.a. Antipas and Herod Antipater. In the New Testament he is called King Herod and Herod the Tetrarch. He was the son of Herod the Great by Herod's Samaritan wife, Malthace, which made him a full brother of Archelaus, and a half-brother of Philip the Tetrarch. Antipas was appointed the tetrarch of Galilee and Perea by Emperor Augustus. He ruled during the time of Jesus and John the Baptist and was partly responsible for their executions. Antipas eventually divorced his first wife in order to marry Herodias, who had been married to his half-brother, Herod II. This act of adultery is what brought about condemnation from John the Baptist in the following set of verses:
"At that time Herod the tetrarch heard of the fame of Jesus, And said unto his servants, This is John the Baptist; he is risen from the dead; and therefore mighty works do shew forth themselves in him. For Herod had laid hold on John, and bound him, and put him in prison for Herodias sake, his brother Philips wife. For John said unto him, It is not lawful for thee to have her. And when he would have put him to death, he feared the multitude, because they counted him as a prophet. But when Herods birthday was kept, the daughter of Herodias danced before them, and pleased Herod. Whereupon he promised with an oath to give her whatsoever she would ask. And she, being before instructed of her mother, said, Give me here John Baptists head in a charger. And the king was sorry: nevertheless for the oaths sake, and them which sat with him at meat, he commanded it to be given her."
Matthew 14:1-9, KJV
"And king Herod heard of him [Jesus]; (for his name was spread abroad:) and he said, That John the Baptist was risen from the dead, and therefore mighty works do shew forth themselves in him. Others said, That it is Elias. And others said, That it is a prophet, or as one of the prophets. But when Herod heard thereof, he said, It is John, whom I beheaded: he is risen from the dead. For Herod himself had sent forth and laid hold upon John, and bound him in prison for Herodias sake, his brother Philips wife: for he had married her. For John had said unto Herod, It is not lawful for thee to have thy brothers wife. Therefore Herodias had a quarrel against him, and would have killed him; but she could not: For Herod feared John, knowing that he was a just man and an holy, and observed him; and when he heard him, he did many things, and heard him gladly. And when a convenient day was come, that Herod on his birthday made a supper to his lords, high captains, and chief estates of Galilee; And when the daughter of the said Herodias came in, and danced, and pleased Herod and them that sat with him, the king said unto the damsel, Ask of me whatsoever thou wilt, and I will give it thee. And he sware unto her, Whatsoever thou shalt ask of me, I will give it thee, unto the half of my kingdom. And she went forth, and said unto her mother, What shall I ask? And she said, The head of John the Baptist. And she came in straightway with haste unto the king, and asked, saying, I will that thou give me by and by in a charger the head of John the Baptist. And the king was exceeding sorry; yet for his oaths sake, and for their sakes which sat with him, he would not reject her. And immediately the king sent an executioner, and commanded his head to be brought: and he went and beheaded him in the prison, And brought his head in a charger, and gave it to the damsel: and the damsel gave it to her mother."
Mark 6:14-28, KJV
In the Gospel of Luke, Jesus also referred to Herod Antipas as a fox when some of the Pharisees tried to warn Jesus that Herod sought to kill Him, as we can determine by these two verses:
"The same day there came certain of the Pharisees, saying unto him [Jesus], Get thee out, and depart hence: for Herod will kill thee. And he said unto them, Go ye, and tell that fox, Behold, I cast out devils, and I do cures to day and to morrow, and the third day I shall be perfected."
Luke 13:31-32, KJV
Herod Antipas is also mentioned in Luke chapter 23 during the Lord's trial, as we can determine by the following group of verses:
"And the whole multitude of them arose, and led him unto Pilate. And they began to accuse him, saying, We found this fellow perverting the nation, and forbidding to give tribute to Caesar, saying that he himself is Christ a King. And Pilate asked him, saying, Art thou the King of the Jews? And he answered him and said, Thou sayest it. Then said Pilate to the chief priests and to the people, I find no fault in this man. And they were the more fierce, saying, He stirreth up the people, teaching throughout all Jewry, beginning from Galilee to this place. When Pilate heard of Galilee, he asked whether the man were a Galilaean. And as soon as he knew that he belonged unto Herods jurisdiction, he sent him to Herod, who himself also was at Jerusalem at that time. And when Herod saw Jesus, he was exceeding glad: for he was desirous to see him of a long season, because he had heard many things of him; and he hoped to have seen some miracle done by him. Then he questioned with him in many words; but he answered him nothing. And the chief priests and scribes stood and vehemently accused him. And Herod with his men of war set him at nought, and mocked him, and arrayed him in a gorgeous robe, and sent him again to Pilate. And the same day Pilate and Herod were made friends together: for before they were at enmity between themselves. And Pilate, when he had called together the chief priests and the rulers and the people, Said unto them, Ye have brought this man unto me, as one that perverteth the people: and, behold, I, having examined him before you, have found no fault in this man touching those things whereof ye accuse him: No, nor yet Herod: for I sent you to him; and, lo, nothing worthy of death is done unto him."
Luke 23:1-15, KJV
In 39 A.D., Antipas was accused by his nephew Agrippa I of conspiracy against the new Roman emperor, Caligula, who sent him into exile in Spain. Accompanied by his second wife Herodias, Antipas died there at an unknown date.
11. King Agrippa I (born 11 B.C., died 44 A.D.), a.k.a. Herod Agrippa or simply Herod. He was the son of Aristobulus IV and Berenice, and the grandson of Herod the Great. As a result of his close friendship with Emperor Caligula, he was appointed ruler over the territories of his deceased uncle, Philip the Tetrarch -- a.k.a. Herod Philip II -- who had died in 34 A.D. This transfer of power and territory occurred in 37 A.D. In 39 A.D., Caligula also gave Agrippa I the territories of his uncle Herod Antipas, who had been exiled to Spain. Finally, in 41 A.D. Emperor Claudius gave him parts of Iudea province, which had previously belonged to his uncle, Herod Archelaus. Thus, Agrippa I acquired most of the territory which at one time had belonged to his grandfather, Herod the Great; and he was bestowed with the title of king of Judaea from 41 A.D. to the time of his death in 44 A.D. He is mentioned by name in the following verses that are found in the Book of Acts:
"Now about that time Herod the king stretched forth his hands to vex certain of the church. And he killed James the brother of John with the sword. And because he saw it pleased the Jews, he proceeded further to take Peter also. (Then were the days of unleavened bread.) And when he had apprehended him, he put him in prison, and delivered him to four quaternions of soldiers to keep him; intending after Easter to bring him forth to the people. Peter therefore was kept in prison: but prayer was made without ceasing of the church unto God for him. And when Herod would have brought him forth, the same night Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains: and the keepers before the door kept the prison. And, behold, the angel of the Lord came upon him, and a light shined in the prison: and he smote Peter on the side, and raised him up, saying, Arise up quickly. And his chains fell off from his hands. And the angel said unto him, Gird thyself, and bind on thy sandals. And so he did. And he saith unto him, Cast thy garment about thee, and follow me. And he went out, and followed him; and wist not that it was true which was done by the angel; but thought he saw a vision. When they were past the first and the second ward, they came unto the iron gate that leadeth unto the city; which opened to them of his own accord: and they went out, and passed on through one street; and forthwith the angel departed from him . . . Now as soon as it was day, there was no small stir among the soldiers, what was become of Peter. And when Herod had sought for him [Peter], and found him not, he examined the keepers, and commanded that they should be put to death. And he went down from Judaea to Caesarea, and there abode. And Herod was highly displeased with them of Tyre and Sidon: but they came with one accord to him, and, having made Blastus the kings chamberlain their friend, desired peace; because their country was nourished by the kings country. And upon a set day Herod, arrayed in royal apparel, sat upon his throne, and made an oration unto them. And the people gave a shout, saying, It is the voice of a god, and not of a man. And immediately the angel of the Lord smote him, because he gave not God the glory: and he was eaten of worms, and gave up the ghost."
Acts 12:1-10, 18-23, KJV
Jewish historian Flavius Josephus describes this very same event in Book XIX, Chapter 8, Page 2 of his famous work "The Antiquities of the Jews, as we see here:
----- Begin Quote -----
"Now when Agrippa had reigned three years over all Judea, he came to the city Cesarea, which was formerly called Strato's Tower; and there he exhibited shows in honor of Caesar, upon his being informed that there was a certain festival celebrated to make vows for his safety. At which festival a great multitude was gotten together of the principal persons, and such as were of dignity through his province. On the second day of which shows he put on a garment made wholly of silver, and of a contexture truly wonderful, and came into the theater early in the morning; at which time the silver of his garment being illuminated by the fresh reflection of the sun's rays upon it, shone out after a surprising manner, and was so resplendent as to spread a horror over those that looked intently upon him; and presently his flatterers cried out, one from one place, and another from another, (though not for his good,) that he was a god; and they added, "Be thou merciful to us; for although we have hitherto reverenced thee only as a man, yet shall we henceforth own thee as superior to mortal nature." Upon this the king did neither rebuke them, nor reject their impious flattery. But as he presently afterward looked up, he saw an owl sitting on a certain rope over his head, and immediately understood that this bird was the messenger of ill tidings, as it had once been the messenger of good tidings to him; and fell into the deepest sorrow. A severe pain also arose in his belly, and began in a most violent manner. He therefore looked upon his friends, and said, "I, whom you call a god, am commanded presently to depart this life; while Providence thus reproves the lying words you just now said to me; and I, who was by you called immortal, am immediately to be hurried away by death. But I am bound to accept of what Providence allots, as it pleases God; for we have by no means lived ill, but in a splendid and happy manner." When he said this, his pain was become violent. Accordingly he was carried into the palace, and the rumor went abroad every where, that he would certainly die in a little time. But the multitude presently sat in sackcloth, with their wives and children, after the law of their country, and besought God for the king's recovery. All places were also full of mourning and lamentation. Now the king rested in a high chamber, and as he saw them below lying prostrate on the ground, he could not himself forbear weeping. And when he had been quite worn out by the pain in his belly for five days, he departed this life, being in the fifty-fourth year of his age, and in the seventh year of his reign; for he reigned four years under Caius Caesar, three of them were over Philip's tetrarchy only, and on the fourth he had that of Herod added to it; and he reigned, besides those, three years under the reign of Claudius Caesar; in which time he reigned over the forementioned countries, and also had Judea added to them, as well as Samaria and Cesarea. The revenues that he received out of them were very great, no less than twelve millions of drachme. Yet did he borrow great sums from others; for he was so very liberal that his expenses exceeded his incomes, and his generosity was boundless."
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12. Herod of Chalcis (born unknown, died 48/49 A.D.), a.k.a. Herod II according to the Jewish Encyclopedia, or Herod V. He was the son of Aristobulus IV and Berenice, and the grandson of Herod the Great. His three siblings were King Agrippa I, Herodias and Aristobulus Minor. Emperor Claudius appointed him king of Chalcis -- a territory north of Judaea -- in 41 A.D. Furthermore, from 44 A.D. to 48 A.D., he was also given responsibility for the Temple in Jerusalem, which included appointing the temple high priest. At his death, Chalcis was given to his nephew, Herod Agrippa II.
13. King Agrippa II (born 27/28 A.D., died 92 to 100 A.D.), a.k.a. Herod Agrippa II. He was the son of King Agrippa I by his wife, Cypros. He was appointed by Emperor Claudius as the tetrarch of the northeastern portion of his father's kingdom -- that is, the small Syrian kingdom of Chalcis -- in 48 A.D., on the death of Herod of Chalcis. However, later he was officially made king of the territory which had formerly been under Philip the Tetrarch. Furthermore, Emperor Nero expanded Agrippa II's realm by giving him additional territory.
Herod Agrippa II was the eighth and last ruler from the Herodian dynasty, and the fifth member of the Herod dynasty to bear the title of king. In 66 A.D., the First Jewish-Roman War began which resulted in the Zealot Temple Siege. This war would ultimately culminate in the destruction of the temple in Jerusalem in 70 A.D., the abolition of the office of the high priest, and the final defeat of the Zealots at Massada in 73 A.D. During this terrible seven-year war, Agrippa II supported the Romans. As a result, the Jews expelled him and Berenice from Jerusalem. For his part, clearly demonstrating his loyalty to Rome, Agrippa II sent 2,000 men, archers and cavalry, to support Vespasian as the Roman general began his campaign to totally subdue Israel.
Later on, when Vespasian was forced to abandon the war effort and return to Rome following Nero's suicide, and subsequently became the new emperor, his son, General Titus, continued the war against the Jews. Flavius Josephus records that Agrippa II accompanied Titus on some of his campaigns against the Jews. After the capture and fall of Jerusalem, Agrippa II and his sister Berenice went to Rome where he was appointed as praetor -- or magistrate -- and rewarded with additional territory.
The Herodian Dynasty Family Tree
With these thoughts, I will bring this article to a close. It is my hope that you have found it informative, enlightening, and I pray that it has been a blessing in your life as well. If you have an account with Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr or with any other social network, I would really appreciate if you'd take the time to click or tap on the corresponding link that is found on this page. Thanks so much, and may God bless you abundantly!
For additional information and further study, you may want to refer to the list of reading resources below which were either mentioned in this article, or which contain topics which are related to this article. All of these articles are likewise located on the Bill's Bible Basics web server. To read these articles, simply click or tap on any link you see below.