Herod: King of the Jews and Friend of the Romans

489 Pages·2017·5.239 MB·English

by  Peter Richardson, Amy Marie Fisher

Herod
Herod: King of the Jews and Friend of the Romans examines the life, work,
and influence of this controversial figure, who remains the most highly visi-
ble of the Roman client kings under Augustus. Herod’s rule shaped the world
in which Christianity arose and his influence can still be seen today. In this
expanded second edition, additions to the original text include discussion of
the archaeological evidence of Herod’s activity, his building program, numis-
matic evidence, and consideration of the roles and activities of other client
kings in relation to Herod. This volume includes new maps and numerous
photographs, and these coupled with the new additions to the text make this
a valuable tool for those interested in the wider Roman world of the late
first century bce at both under- and postgraduate levels. Herod remains the
definitive study of the life and activities of the king known traditionally as
Herod the Great.
Peter Richardson is Professor Emeritus in the Department of Religion at the
University of Toronto, Canada.
Amy Marie Fisher works at the University of Alberta, Canada, where she is
also an adjunct instructor in the study of religion.
Ancient Biographies
Forthcoming titles:
Ptolemy I Soter
Sheila Ager
Philip II of Macedon
Daniel Ogden
Cyrus the Great
Lynette Mitchell
Series URL: https://www.routledge.com/classicalstudies/series/ANCIENTBIOS
Herod
King of the Jews and Friend of the
Romans
Second edition
Peter Richardson and
Amy Marie Fisher
Second edition published 2018
by Routledge
2 Park Square, Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon OX14 4RN
and by Routledge
711 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10017
Routledge is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group, an informa business
 2018 Peter Richardson and Amy Marie Fisher
The right of Peter Richardson and Amy Marie Fisher to be identified as
authors of this work has been asserted by them in accordance with sections
77 and 78 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or reproduced or
utilised in any form or by any electronic, mechanical, or other means, now
known or hereafter invented, including photocopying and recording, or in
any information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing
from the publishers.
Trademark notice: Product or corporate names may be trademarks or
registered trademarks, and are used only for identification and explanation
without intent to infringe.
First edition published by The University of South Carolina Press 1996
British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Names: Richardson, Peter, 1935- author. | Fisher, Amy Marie, author.
Title: Herod: king of the Jews and friend of the Romans / Peter Richardson
and Amy Marie Fisher.
Description: Second edition. | Abingdon, Oxon, New York, NY: Routledge,
[2017] | Series: Routledge ancient biographies | Originally published:
Columbia, S.C.: University of South Carolina Press, 1996. | Includes
bibliographical references and index.
Identifiers: LCCN 2017001848| ISBN 9781138803923 (hardback: alk.
paper) | ISBN 9781315163352 (ebook)
Subjects: LCSH: Herod I, King of Judea, 73 B.C.-4 B.C. | Jews—
History—168 B.C.-135 A.D. | Jews—Kings and rulers—Biography.
Classification: LCC DS122.3.R53 2017 | DDC 933/.05092 [B] —dc23
LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2017001848
ISBN: 978-1-138-80392-3 (hbk)
ISBN: 978-1-315-16335-2 (ebk)
Typeset in Sabon LT Std
by Swales & Willis Ltd, Exeter, Devon, UK
To past and present colleagues
with gratitude and admiration

Contents
List of tables xiii
List of maps xiv
List of figures xv
Preface and acknowledgments xvii
Image credits xxi
Abbreviations xxii
Introduction 1
“The achievements of King Herod” 1
A century of studies of Herod (from Otto to Vermes and
Marshak) 4
Beginnings 5
Classic studies 6
The last two decades 11
Conclusion 15
Josephus’s accounts of Herod’s life 16
Sources 16
Historiography 17
Narrative 18
Rhetoric 18
Conclusion 19
Chronology of Herod’s life 19
Schematic family tree 30
Part I and Part II 30
PART I
Herod’s life 37
1 In the end is the beginning 39
The eagle, or a king’s eclipse 39
Death of a king 41
viii Contents
Family squabbles in Rome 43
Augustus’s indecision 49
The delegations’ evaluations 53
Herod and the Roman Jewish community 56
2 From Idumea to Petra (to 64 bce) 60
Introduction 60
Idumeans 61
Nabateans 69
Itureans 73
Hasmoneans 77
Hyrcanus II and Aristobulus II 80
Antipater 82
3 From Petra to Rome (64–40 bce) 87
Pompey, Gabinius, and Antipater’s rise to power 87
Caesar and Cassius 93
Herod’s trial 98
Civil war 103
Parthia 107
Herod and Antigonus 109
King of Judea 115
4 From Rome to Rhodes (40–30 bce) 119
Up to Jerusalem: the first season’s campaign 119
Up to Jerusalem: the second season’s campaign 123
The battle for Jerusalem 124
Alexandra, Cleopatra, and the death of Aristobulus III 128
Nabatean war 131
The end of Hyrcanus II 134
Herod meets Octavian at Rhodes 136
5 From Rhodes to Rome (30–17 bce) 140
Mariamme’s execution 140
Appended note 142
The deaths of Alexandra and Costobar 144
Judean society 145
Herod and Augustus 149
Amici 151
Princeps and king 155
Internal matters 160
To Rome 163
Contents ix
6 From Rome to Jericho (17–4 bce) 166
Augustus, Marcus Agrippa, and Herod 166
The Diaspora 168
A synagogue in Rome? 170
The decrees 172
Suit of Ionian Jews 173
Benefactions 175
The household 175
To Rome again 179
The Nabatean War (12–9 bce) 180
In Jerusalem 182
Archelaus, Eurycles, and Eunuchs 184
The execution of Alexander and Aristobulus 186
Antipater’s end 187
Conclusion 192
PART II
Herod in context 197
7 Late Hellenism in the Levant 199
Syria 199
Dependent kingdoms 201
The Decapolis 206
The coastal cities 209
Conclusion 212
8 The kingdom 215
Galilee 215
Judea 219
Samaritis 223
Gaulanitis, Batanea, Auranitis, and Trachonitis 225
Perea 229
Conclusion 231
9 Herod’s architecture and archaeological remains 235
Establishment of the kingdom 243
The early years: building small, but luxuriously 243
The post-Actium building phase: expansion 249
Creation of a legacy 257
Masada: the cascading palace 257
Herodium: fortress and palace 259