I. HEROD THE GREAT was the second son of Antipater, by whom he was appointed governor of Galilee at the age of twenty-five. In B.C. 43 ho obtained from Sextus Caesar the government of all Ccele-Syria. From this time he became, with hit brother Phasael, the chief sup porter of Hyrcanus II. against the attempts of Antigonus, the son of Aristobulus. By large presents he obtained the friendship of Antony, who appointed him and Phasael tetrarchs of Judwa. In ac. 40 the Parthians invaded Judwa, and set Antigonus on the throne, making Hyrcanus and Phasael prisoners. Herod escaped to Rome, where, by the influence of Antony, he was appointed king of the Jews ; but the Roman generals in Syria assisted him so feebly that it was not till the end of the year B.O. 38 that Jerusalem was taken by Sossius. The commencement of Herod's reign dates from the following year. In the year B.c. 38 he had married Mariamne, the grand-daughter of Hyrcanns, hoping to strengthen his power by this match with the Asmonrcan family, which was very populdr in Judxa. On ascending the throne Herod appointed Ananel of Babylon high-priest, to the exclusion of Aristobulus, the brother of Mariamne. But he soon found himself compelled, by the entreaties of Mariamne and the arti fices of her mother Alexandra, to depose Ananel, and appoint Aristobu lus in his place. Not long after Aristobulus was secretly put to death by the command of Herod. Alexandra having informed Cleopatra of the murder, Herod was summoned to answer the accusation before Antony, whom he pacified by liberal bribes. When setting out to meet Antony, he had commanded his brother Joseph to put Mariamne to death in case he should be condemned, that she might not fall into Antony's power. Finding on his return that Joseph had revealed this order to Mariamne, Herod put him to death. In the civil war between Octavianus (afterwards the Emperor Augustus) and Antony, Herod joined the latter, and undertook, at his command, a cam paign against the Arabs, whom he defeated. After the battle of Actium he went to meet Octavianus at Rhodes ; having first put to death Hyrcanus, who had been released by the Parthians, and had placed himself under Herod's protection some years before. He also
imprisoned Mariamne and Alexandra, commanding their keepers to kill them upon receiving intelligence of his death. Octavianus received him kindly, and reinstated him in his kingdom. On his return Mariamne reproached him with his intentions towards her, which she had again discovered. This led to an estrangement. between Herod and his wife, which was artfully increased by his sister Salome, till on one occasion, enraged at a new affront he had received from Mariamne, Herod assembled some of his friends and accused her of adultery. She was condemned and executed. After her death Herod suffered the deepest remorse, and shut himself up in Samaria, where he was seized with a sickness which nearly proved fatal. In the year B.C. 26 he put to death the sons of Babas, the last princes of the Asroonman family. He now openly disregarded the Jewish law, and introduced Roman customs, a conduct which increased the hatred of the people towards him. Ten men conspired against his life, but were detected, and executed with the greatest cruelty. To secure himself against rebellion be fortified Samaria, which be named Sebaste, and built Cresaree, and other cities and fortresses. In the year B.O. 17 he began to rebuild the temple at Jerusalem. The work was completed in eight years, but the decorations were not finished for many years after, (John ii. 20.) Herod's power and territories continued to Increase, but the latter port of his reign was disturbed by the most violent dissensions In his family, of which a minute account Is given by Josephus. He died In March D.C. 4, In the thirty.
fourth year of his reign and the seveutieth of his age. Josephus relates that shortly before his death be shut up many of the principal men of the Jewish nation In the Hippodrome, commanding his sister Salome to put them to death as soon as he expired, that he might not want mourners. They were roleased however by Salome upon Herod's death.