Herod's Court: A Tale of Power and Paranoia

Herod ascended to the throne in 37 BCE. Besides ordering the execution of his father-in-law, mother-in-law, wife, and brother-in-law, he killed forty-five prominent families from Jerusalem for their loyalty to the Hasmonean ruler Antigonus. Furthermore, he executed most members of the Sanhedrin who were involved in the trial following his murder of Hezekiah the rebel in Galilee.

Herod's Roman patron was Mark Antony, who had an alliance with Cleopatra, Queen of Egypt. Mark Antony, despite being the Roman ruler of the East, was at war with Augustus, later known as Emperor Augustus. Herod, being astute, refrained from choosing sides, as it was uncertain who would emerge victorious. The winner would surely execute the loser and his allies.

In a massive naval battle in 32 BCE near the city of Actium, Greece, Mark Antony and Cleopatra's fleet of 500 warships and 70,000 soldiers clashed with Augustus's 400 ships and 80,000 troops. Cleopatra's ships carried a vast treasure of gold from the Ptolemaic kingdom in Egypt, sparking the imagination of both sides.

Mark Antony and Cleopatra lost the battle. Their string of defeats culminated in their suicide, and Augustus Caesar ascended to power. Herod felt relieved, as Cleopatra, influential over Mark Antony, coveted parts of Judea she claimed once belonged to the Ptolemaic dynasty. Herod became an administrator for Augustus and quickly constructed two cities in his honor: Caesarea and Sebastia.

Caesarea was a city unlike any seen in the world, featuring a massive ancient harbor, parts of which survive to this day. Water was ingeniously transported to Caesarea from distant springs and mountains—a feat of engineering and artistry still unmatched today. Sebastia was built on the site of ancient Israelite Samaria, and it too was splendid, with portions still standing.

Herod sent his two sons for Roman education, as was customary for those who became servants to the Romans. In return, Emperor Augustus extended Herod's kingdom and declared that the lands Cleopatra desired now belonged to Herod. With no external threats, Judea, as part of the Roman Empire, was unchallenged.

Herod was a faithful guardian for Augustus but an aggressive wolf toward the people of Zion and his own family. Beyond dismantling his wife's family, Herod also killed his three children. He executed his son Antipater, from his Edomite wife Doris, fearing he would seize the throne. Aristobulus and Alexander, sons from his Hasmonean wife Mariamne, were princes with Hasmonean blood, and Herod feared their potential claim to power, resulting in their execution.

Upon hearing of his watchdog's actions, Emperor Augustus reportedly said: "Better to be Herod's pig than his son!"

Aristobulus and Alexander had another daughter named Shalom Tzion, whom Herod did not kill. She married Phasael, the son of Phasael, Herod's brother. From her came descendants with mixed Hasmonean and Edomite blood, echoing Mariamne's last words: "Anyone who claims to be a Hasmonean is a slave." One of these descendants was Yosef ben Matityahu, who claimed descent from the Hasmoneans.

Herod's court functioned like that of a foreign ruler detached from Jewish traditions and customs. He built grand cities for the emperor, settled foreigners there, and saw himself as part of the Roman Empire. To him, expressions of Judaism and spirituality were nuisances. As noted, he killed members of the Sanhedrin along with many of the land's dignitaries and elders. The workings of the Temple didn't concern him; he was engrossed in construction and international diplomacy.