The True Herod

Who was Herod the Great? How did he come to govern one of the most politically tumultuous regions in the world? Was he the heartless baby-killer of Matthew's Gospel, or does this popular tale do Herod a great disservice? Geza Vermes, whose work on the Historical Jesus and the Dead Sea Scrolls has made him one of the most recognisable names in Biblical and Jewish studies, provides a new portrait of Herod. Vermes examines Herod's legacy as a political leader, and a potentate, a man of culture, and an all-round smooth operator. Vermes opens up the fascinating character of Herod, from his sizable and fragile ego to his devastation at the execution of his beloved wife, an execution that Herod ordered himself. Beginning with the key historical sources (notably Josephus) Vermes moves on to consider Herod's greatest legacy and testament - his extensive building works, which include the Temple in Jerusalem, Masada and Herodium. Colour images, combined with Vermes' lively prose make this new picture of Herod an enticing and informative guide to one of Ancient History's most misunderstood figures. Foreword Preface Acknowledgements Abbreviations List of illustrations The main events of Roman history during Herod’s age Frontispiece Prologue Part One A bird’s eye view of biblical history 1 From King David to the start of the Hellenistic period 2 From the arrival of Hellenization in Judaea to the outbreak of the Maccabaean uprising 3 The Maccabee Trio: Judas – Jonathan – Simon 4 The Hasmonaeans from John Hyrcanus to Mattathias Antigonus Part Two Herod the Great Introduction 5 Herod prior to his appointment as king (73/2–40 BCE) 6 Herod, king of the Jews (40–4 BCE) Herod consolidates his rule (37–25 BCE) Herod, the builder (25–13 BCE) Herod’s decline (13–4 BCE) 7 Herod the Villain or Herod the Great? The portrait of Herod Herod’s character Evaluation of Herod’s positive and negative achievements Herod in literature and cinema Part Three The descendants of Herod in the New Testament and Josephus Introduction 8 Herod Archelaus (4 BCE–6 CE) 9 Herod Antipas (4 BCE–39 CE) 10 Herod Philip (4 BCE–33/4 CE) 11 Herod Agrippa I (41–44 CE) 12 Herod of Chalcis (41–48 CE) 13 Herod Agrippa II (50–92/3 or 100 CE) Conclusion Chronology of Herod’s life and his successors Notes Bibliography Image credits and copyrights Index The lives of the major Roman, Jewish and Egyptian players from the time of Jesus had intertwined relationships, and their respective cultures rubbed against each other. But in tying this period together, Geza saw Herod as one of the pivotal axes around which his contemporaries revolved. Despite being mostly negatively portrayed, and seldom debated, he does not make for a poor hero; for beyond the treachery and violence, his power and passion brought peace and prosperity. It was these misconceptions that Geza loved to challenge, and thus the book was born, or at least the main part of it.