Bible Timeline · 37 to 4 BC

Herod the Great and the Temple Jesus Knew

Herod the Great ruled Judea for Rome from 37 to 4 BC. He was a brilliant builder who rebuilt the temple Jesus knew, plus Masada, Herodium and Caesarea, and a paranoid ruler who killed his own family and the boys of Bethlehem.

Read it in the Bible: Matthew 2 John 2:20 Luke 1:5 Mark 13:1-2 Luke 13:31-32

Herod the Great was the king of Judea under Rome from 37 BC until his death in 4 BC. He was one of the greatest builders of the ancient world. Starting about 20 BC, he rebuilt the temple in Jerusalem on a grand scale, and that is the temple Jesus taught in. He also built fortress palaces like Masada and Herodium and the port city of Caesarea. But he was also cruel and paranoid. He killed his own wife and sons, and Matthew says he ordered the murder of the baby boys of Bethlehem when he heard a new King of the Jews had been born.

Who Was Herod the Great?

Herod was born around 73 BC. His father, Antipater, was from Idumea, the old land of Edom south of Judea, and his mother came from a noble Arab family. The Idumeans had been forced to convert to Judaism by the Hasmonean kings, so many Jews never saw Herod as truly one of them.

Antipater was a political genius who made friends with Rome. When the Parthians invaded and put a rival on the throne in 40 BC, Herod fled to Rome. The Roman Senate named him king of Judea. He came back with Roman troops and took Jerusalem in 37 BC. To help his claim, he married Mariamne, a princess from the Hasmonean royal family.

Herod switched sides skillfully during Rome's civil wars. He backed Mark Antony, and when Antony lost, he convinced Octavian, the future Caesar Augustus, that he would be just as loyal to him. He stayed in power for over thirty years.

How Did Herod Rebuild the Temple?

The temple that the exiles built after Babylon was plain. Herod wanted something magnificent. In about 20 BC, the eighteenth year of his reign according to Josephus, he began rebuilding it.

To avoid offending the Jews, he trained a thousand priests as stonemasons so only priests would work on the holy areas. The main sanctuary was finished in about a year and a half. But the huge courts and buildings around it went on for decades. In Jesus' day, people told Him it had taken 46 years so far, John 2:20.

Herod doubled the size of the temple mount by building massive retaining walls and filling them in. The Western Wall in Jerusalem, where Jews pray today, is part of Herod's retaining wall. Some of its stones weigh hundreds of tons. The rabbis later said whoever has not seen Herod's temple has never seen a beautiful building.

As Jesus was leaving the temple, one of His disciples said to Him, “Teacher, look at the magnificent stones and buildings!” “Do you see all these great buildings?” Jesus replied. “Not one stone here will be left on another; every one will be thrown down.” Mark 13:1 to 2

Jesus' disciples were amazed by it. Jesus said not one stone would be left on another. In AD 70, the Romans destroyed it, just as He said.

What Else Did Herod Build?

Herod built like a man who never slept. His projects include:

Masada, a fortress palace on a cliff top near the Dead Sea, later the site of the last Jewish stand against Rome.
Herodium, a palace fortress on a hill he raised into a cone shape near Bethlehem, which became his tomb.
Caesarea Maritima, a port city with a man made harbor, named to honor Caesar Augustus. Paul was later held prisoner there.
The Antonia Fortress next to the temple, named for Mark Antony.
Palaces in Jericho and Jerusalem, plus theaters, aqueducts and pagan temples in non Jewish cities.

In 2007, archaeologist Ehud Netzer announced he had found Herod's tomb on the slope of Herodium, with pieces of a fancy stone coffin. Most scholars accept it as Herod's burial place. The Archaeology page on this site covers more Herodian finds.

Why Was Herod So Cruel?

Herod was terrified of losing his throne. He had his wife Mariamne executed in 29 BC on charges of plotting against him. He later had two of their sons strangled, and just days before his own death he executed his oldest son, Antipater. A saying attributed to Caesar Augustus claims it was better to be Herod's pig than his son. Since Herod kept Jewish food laws in public, his pigs were safe. That saying comes from a later Roman writer, so we cannot be sure Augustus said it, but it captures Herod's reputation.

Did Herod Really Kill the Babies in Bethlehem?

When the Magi came asking where the newborn King of the Jews was, Herod was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him, Matthew 2:3. He told them to report back, but they went home another way.

When Herod saw that he had been outwitted by the Magi, he was filled with rage. Sending orders, he put to death all the boys in Bethlehem and its vicinity who were two years old and under, according to the time he had learned from the Magi. Matthew 2:16

No other ancient source mentions this event, and some skeptics doubt it. But Bethlehem was a small village, and most scholars estimate perhaps a dozen or two boys were killed. In a reign full of mass executions, Josephus may not have noticed it. It fits everything we know about Herod. An angel warned Joseph, and the family fled to Egypt until Herod died.

When Did Herod the Great Die?

Most historians date Herod's death to 4 BC. Josephus says he died after a lunar eclipse and before Passover, and that his sons' reigns began then. A few scholars argue for 1 BC, but 4 BC is the common view. He died in great pain at his palace in Jericho and was buried at Herodium.

This is why Jesus was born before 4 BC, probably about 6 to 4 BC. Herod's kingdom was divided among three sons. Archelaus got Judea, which is why Joseph moved the family to Nazareth instead, Matthew 2:22. Herod Antipas got Galilee. He is the Herod who beheaded John the Baptist and met Jesus at His trial. Jesus called him that fox, Luke 13:32.

What Does Herod Mean for You Today?

Herod built a temple to impress people, but he tried to kill the One the temple was really about. You can be very religious and very busy for God and still fight against Him in your heart.

Herod's kingdom ended in his death and was split three ways. Jesus, the child he tried to kill, rose from the dead. Jesus said of His own body, destroy this temple and in three days I will raise it up, John 2:19. Herod's stones fell. The true temple stood up again.

Get Nate's Highlighting Guide Free

Free. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.

Questions People Ask

When did Herod the Great rule?

Herod the Great was named king of Judea by the Roman Senate in 40 BC and took control of Jerusalem in 37 BC. He ruled until his death, which most historians date to 4 BC.

Why was Herod called the Great?

Herod was called the Great mainly to tell him apart from his sons and grandsons, who were also named Herod. He was also known for his huge building projects, including the rebuilt temple in Jerusalem, Masada, Herodium and Caesarea.

Is the Western Wall part of Herod's temple?

The Western Wall is part of the retaining wall Herod built to enlarge the temple mount, not the temple building itself. The Romans destroyed the temple in AD 70, but these huge foundation stones survived.

Where was Herod buried?

Josephus says Herod was buried at Herodium, his palace fortress near Bethlehem. In 2007 archaeologist Ehud Netzer announced the discovery of Herod's tomb on the slope of Herodium, and most scholars accept the identification.

Sources

← Rome Takes Jerusalem The Birth of Jesus in Bethlehem →

See the whole Bible Timeline