New Testament Backgrounds - Part 6
Herod’s Descendants

With Herod’s death came the question of who would rule in his absence. He had changed his will several times over the last years of his life.  Two of his sons, Archelaus and Antipitar, each with a will naming him as successor, went to Rome seeking a settlement. The Jews also sent a delegation asking the Romans to assume direct rule.  The Jews desire to avoid the sons ruling went unfulfilled.

Archelaus was the son of Herod the Great and Malthace, a Samaritan. Before he left for Rome on the matter of settling Herod’s will, he was placed in charge of the territory. There was also an uprising in the temple on Passover.  He reacted by killing 3000 Jews. He was named ethnarch over Samaria, Idumea, and Judah and was promised the position of king if he could rule prudently.  But he could not fulfill the requirement.  “On his return he treated both Jews and Samaritans with brutality and tyranny” (The Oxford Companion to the Bible, page 282, 283).  The Dictionary of New Testament Background states Archelaus “used oppressive measures to quell the opposition” (page 489).  He was so cruel that a delegation of Jews and Samaritans went to Rome together to complain to Augustus about him.  The article went on to note, “For these two enemies to cooperate in this matter indicates the seriousness of the complaint” (page 490). This was the man ruling in Judah when Joseph returned from Egypt with Mary and Jesus.  He was the reason they turned aside and lived in Nazareth (Matthew 2:20-23).  The Romans finally removed him from office, and exiled him to Vienna in Gaul.  The territory he ruled over was made a Roman province ruled by a prefect appointed by the Roman Emperor.

Philip was Herod the Great’s son with Cleopatra of Jerusalem.  He was named tertarch of the northeastern part of his father’s territory, Gaulanitis, Aurantitis, Batanea, Trachonitis, Paneas and Iturea.  Philip was different from his brothers for he ruled with moderation and so was well liked by his subjects.  He undertook the rebuilding of two cities: Paneas and Bethsaida.  Paneas he renamed Caesarea Philippi. Caesarea was in honor of the Caesar and Philippi was to distinguish it from Caesarea on the Coast.  It was here that Peter made the confession of Jesus as the Christ and Jesus promised to build His church.

He married Salome, the daughter of Herodias, and well-known dancer who was instrumental in the beheading of John the Baptist.  They had no children so at his death the territory was first annexed by Syria and later given to the Herod Agrippa I, brother of Herodias.

—Denny