THE HERODIAN CONUNDRUM!!!
Hmmm...some Cricket here please...
Sharma caught Sharma bowled Sharma...
One can well imagine plight of a Cricket aficionado going through a batting Score-card (of say a West Zone Vs North Zone- Deodhar Trophy match- in the Sports page of a Newspaper) if he were to come across a section such as the one captioned above missing out conspicuously on the prefixes’ of the players’ concerned. By the same token, one can well imagine that same distraught reader now sighing with relief once he is given the complete picture notably that the batsman in question was Rohit Sharma, the fielder Joginder Sharma and the wicket taking bowler...Ishant Sharma.
Now ditto the situation of a first time, uninitiated NT reader who comes across mostly villainous Kings all bearing the same dynastic title “Herod” (akin to “Nizam of Hyderabad” in the modern Indian context or “Pharoah of Egypt” in the OT context) one after another in its first five Books barring the John’s Gospel !!! By the way the title Herod in Greek means “Song of a Hero”.
Having been born-again 1983, I started reading the Bible at a time Tim Berners Lee (inventor of World-wide web in 1991) was still a starry-eyed young man toiling away in his first employment at CERN, France and the only Science-related Apple (thanks Steve Jobs), the most of the World knew about was the Newton’s “Gravity-related” one. With no access to Cyber World and its vast libraries then and my Church leaders (for whatever reasons) themselves not able to throw light on this dicey topic, I remember my struggle coming to terms with this peculiar “one Herod too many” syndrome. Boy, compounding my problem at that “taking baby steps in faith” stage was the repetitive annual screening in Local DD Channel (during Christmas time) of a popular Telugu movie “Karunamayudu” (viewed in hindsight, inadequate research preceded making of it) on Christ wherein “Herod” who tried to kill Baby Jesus and the one who beheaded John the Baptist, are portrayed as a same person, so much so, at one point I went around believing that the terrible death of “Herod” as narrated in Acts 12:23 was a just punishment for these very atrocities plus for the ones’ mentioned in Acts 12:1-4. Hence I can well empathize with the predicament of many a new Christian reading NT for the first time when he has to face up to this “one Sharma too many” like googly.
In this message (bearing the following sub-sections) I would like to bring out some basic facts about only those “Herods” and also a sect by name “Herodians” (Matt 22:16) who figure in the pages of the Bible (for in history...hold your breath... there are more Herods than the ones’ in the Bible) based on Biblical as well as World History accounts, so that Bible readers (I reiterate, especially the first-timers) are better equipped to understand contextually some Scripture portions, involving these characters’.
I. “Insecure” Herod the Great
II. “Inhuman” Herod Archelaus
III. “Incestuous” Herod Antipas
IV. “Innocent” Herod Philip
V. “Insidious” Herod Agriappa-I
VI. “Interrogative” Herod Agriappa –II
VII. “Invidious” Herodians
At this point, it would serve the readers well to know that these “Kings” who ruled over the Land of Palestine or some sections’ of it, were nothing more than the appointed “puppets” of the World Super power of that time -Roman Empire -which after having decisively subdued the erstwhile World-rulers (Greeks) in the Battle of Corinth in 146 BC was now indisputably Monarch of whatever it surveyed...including the “Land of Palestine” where most of the NT action takes place.
I. “Insecure” Herod the Great....
a) Period of reign: 37 BCE-4 BCE
b) Territory: At one point the whole Land of Palestine.
So power-hungry was this sly Idumean (a descendent of Esau-an Edomite-but raised as a Jew because his father had converted to Judaism) that History bears witness to the fact that he killed his own wife Mariamne and his two sons on the suspicion that they were conspiring to usurp his throne. No wonder that this insatiable hunger for power and throne which made him feel so “insecure” leading to the killing of his own family members made him react typically like “a cat on a hot tin roof” as soon as the News of the birth of the “King of the Jews” came to his notice, courtesy the Wise men (Matt 2:1-18) sometime after the First Christmas.
His colossal building projects throughout Judea (primary reason for suffixing the word “Great” to his name) including his initiation of expansion of the Second Temple in Jerusalem (he began to rebuild it 16 years before the birth of Christ...but did not fully complete it-Source Barnes’ Notes on the Bible on John 2:20), the construction of the port at Caesarea Maritima have all to be viewed from the prism of his self-serving political ambitions which aimed at “currying the favour of the Jews”.
The Divine comeuppance of the One who said, it is for me to avenge (Deu 32:35/Rom 12:19) was bound to catch up with his self-absorbed tyrant who had mercilessly slaughtered the innocent children of Bethlehem and it did in 4 BCE!!! Josephus the popular Jewish historian records thus on this notorious King’s excruciating death “... continuous pains in the intestines, tumors of the feet as in dropsy, inflammation of the abdomen, and gangrene of the privy parts." (Source:http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2002/01/0128_020128_KingHerod.html). If it reminds you of the torturous death of the wicked Judean King Jehoram, then so be it (2 Chro 21:18-19)!!!
ACTION: Display of Map showing the 6 Provinces of the Land of Palestine during the 1 Century AD (till 70 AD)
After the “inglorious exit”, as it were of Herod the Great from the Jewish political scenario, the Land of Israel was divided into 6 provinces by the Roman Empire (as per the Map given below) with three of them from North to South on the Western side of River Jordan being namely
a) Galilee
b) Samaria
c) Judea
And the other three on the Eastern side of River Jordan being
a) Iturea
b) Decapolis (branded as a Syrian territory and placed under a Syrian Governor)
c) Perea
Now out of these six provinces, barring Decapolis, the other 5 were placed under the sons of this wicked King (born to his different wives).
II. “Inhuman” Herod Archelaus...
a) Period of reign:4 BCE-6 AD
b) Territory: Congruent provinces of Judea and Samaria (Refer Map above)
Nothing more is recorded about this “Herod” (born to Malthace, one of the many wives of his Patriarchal father), except that the very mention of his name evoked fear in the heart of Joseph (the earthly father of Jesus – Matt 2:22), the fear having been triggered most probably because of the former’s notoriety gained by slaughtering of 3000 Jews in and around the Temple soon after his “ascension to the throne”.
This “inhuman” act (an unilateral one at that without Rome’s permission against the religious-minded Jews who were violently opposed to Idol –worship near the Temple gates) would prove highly detrimental to his higher political aspirations’ with Rome not taking kindly to this act of “genocide”. Eventually, he was banished by Rome to Vienna in 6 AD where he ultimately died around 18 AD.
III. “Incestuous” Herod Antipas
a) Period of reign:4 BCE to 39 BCE
b) Territory: Diagonally opposite provinces of Galilee and Perea (Refer Map above)
This Herod (also born to Malthace like Archelaus) was first married to Phasaelis, a daughter of Aretas IV, an Arabian leader. Later, he divorced her in order to marry Herodias who at that time being the wife of Herod Antipas' half-brother Phillip (who was also called Herod) also on her part, cut her marital knot illicitly. Marriage to the ex-wife of one's deceased brother was not uncommon but not when the brother was alive (Leviticus 18:16). Now compounding the sin of Herod-Herodias affair was also the fact that Herodias was the daughter of Antipas’ yet another half-brother, Aristobulus. Socially in those times, marriage to one's niece was also permitted, but marriage to a woman who was both one's sister-in-law and one's niece was the very definition of incest evoking sharp criticism from John the Baptist (Matt 14:1-11). Since John the Baptist was also constantly ministering in the province of Perea besides Judea (his native place), Antipas had the “jurisdiction” to arrest him and lock him up in a cell at Machaerus which was part of the Perean province (Refer Map above).
While, Antipas may not have been solely responsible for the beheading of John the Baptist first or the crucifixion of Jesus later, none can wholly absolve him in those cruel acts’ of shedding innocent blood either (Luke 23:6-11), for given his position of influence were not his acts more in tune with appeasing the majority rather than the one of standing up for what is right? Didn’t his crafty political manoeuvres’ open to public knowledge also earn him the sobriquet “fox” from the Messiah Himself (Luke 13:32)?
Finally his career brimming with political machinations involving Rome with the constant encouragement of his scheming wife would eventually backfire (talk of falling into the grave dug for the enemies) leading this avaricious couple to a disgrace of a lonely, painful exile in Lyon in Gaul (yet another case of Divine wrath catching up with the perpetrators of crimes-Romans 12:19). Faraway in exile, this notorious King would die unmourned in 39 AD.
IV) “Innocent” Herod “Phillip”...
When I employ the word “innocent” for this Herod, I mean “innocent” in the whole Antipas-Herodias-Phillip triangle, which would have doubtless left him with a broken heart. Nothing more is mentioned about this Herod (presumably born to Mariamne one of the wives of Herod the great) in the Gospels other than the fact that he was the first husband of the murderous Herodias (Mark 6:19) who spurned this unsuspecting Herod and made plans to “elope” with Antipas at a time the former was unsuspiciously hosting his half-brother according to some historians’. Talk of a double back stab...
Some other historians’ have raised doubts as to whether the Phillip (First husband) of Herodias was the same Phillip (Mark 6:17) who ruled over Iturea with ever-increasing popularity or was he Herod I (yet another son of Herod). Whatever be the truth, the fact that “innocent” Phillip was wrongly duped both by his wife...Herodias...and a close relative (of the Herodian clan) can never be doubted.
V) “Insidious” Herod Agrippa –I
a) Period of reign:41AD-44 AD
b) Territory: Congruent provinces of Judea and Samaria (Refer Map above...the Roman Governors all of short durations after the exit of Herod Archelaus in 6 AD to Herod Agriappa I were... Coponius, Marcus Ambivulus, Annius Rufus, Valerius Gratus, Pontius Pilate, Marcellus and Marullus)
Herod Agrippa, also known as Herod or Agrippa I (grandson of Herod the Great and son of Herod Aristobolus IV) is the insidious Herod mentioned in Chapter 12 of the Book of Acts, where we see him brutally executing James (Son of Zebedee) the Apostle and then making an insidious plan to execute Apostle Peter also. Of course, it was thwarted not only by the earnest prayers of the Church (Acts 12:5) but also most importantly by the “original prophecy” of our Lord that Apostle Peter would be martyred only in his old age (John 21:18).
Divine wrath would catch up with this wicked Herod too by way of bringing about a pathetic end (Acts 12:19-23)... for is it not written that “anyone who harms the Church the bride of Jesus, pokes his fingers into the apple of the eye of her bridegroom” (Zech 2:8)!!!
VI) “Interrogative” Herod Agriappa –II...
a) Period of reign:55AD- 66 AD
b) Territory:Almost whole of the Land of Palestine at one point till his expulsion from Jerusalem by the Jews in the backdrop of their planned rebellion against Rome as he was a total loyalist to his patrons’ in Rome.
Though prima facie a Jew this relatively good son of that nefarious Herod Agriappa-I seemed better disposed to God’s people than all the Herods’ before him.
Thought the attitude of this last Herod (both scripturally and historically) towards Apostle Paul in the Royal “Interrogation room” of yore( Acts 25:23-27), smacked off of some contempt towards the bold witness of the Apostle (Acts 26:28), it was certainly fair besides being not (at any point) the one of outright bigotry as evidenced in that of his predecessor(Acts 26:32/Acts 12:1-4). His death was peaceful in Syria around 100 AD.
Now shifting from the set of INdividuals’, we finally zero in on a group known as...what else...
VII) Invidious “Herodians”....
This pro-Herod sect known as Herodians, did not exist before the time of Herod the Great, who died only three years after the incarnation of our Lord. What the opinions of these were is not agreed among the learned. While some believe that their distinguishing doctrine was, that they held Herod to be the Messiah, others suppose that they were Herod's courtiers, who flattered the passions of their master, and, being endowed with a convenient conscience, changed with the times. Whatever, they were Pro-Herod body, heart and soul. Being pro-Herod meant they were Pro-Rome too in their political stance.
Now consider this Scripture portion which highlights their fickle-minded, weak-kneed disposition...
Then the Pharisees went out and laid plans to trap him in his words. They sent their disciples to him along with the Herodians.-Matt 22:15-16
If anything Matt 22:16 underscores the fact that “enemy of my enemy is my friend”, for we see two “not-so-friendly” camps of Pharisees (Anti-Rome) on one hand and Herodians (Pro-Rome) on the other, joining hands in hating and plotting against the Messiah who seemed a bigger obstacle to their personal ambitions’ than any other force. It is another matter that their warped minds were no match to the wisdom of the One who holds everything together (Matt 14:15-22/Col 1:17).
This sect of Herodians lasted at best upto Jerusalem destruction in 70 AD and then went into oblivion like all other Kings and Kingdoms.
Dear Friends while hoping that this message on Herods would have dispelled many doubts in your minds even whilst facilitating better understanding of NT, let me state at the end that we as Christians’ ought to be proud of our Eternal Hero at all times, whose Kingdom (in the Earthly realm) once established after the Armageddon war on Earth, would never be shaken for Eternity (Daniel 2:34-45)!!!
(Suresh Manoharan)
An unworthy servant
