Herod the Great was born around 73 B.C., although there is some debate as to the exact timing of his birth. He was the son of Antipater, who was Idumaean which is a descendant of Esau, and Kypros, who was Nabataean. Herod was the younger son, the oldest son was Phaesal. Herod’s family, prior to his birth, had been in service to Judea. Roller describes further that in the early B.C. Herod’s grandfather had been governor of Idumaea. (ROLLER P 1) Roller elaborates further, “His father, who inherited the governorship, married a Nabataean, possibly the daughter of King Aretas III, and this alliance between Idumaea and Nabataea formed the fragile basis of the power their son was to develop.” (ROLLER P 1)
Herod’s rise to power, as it were, began when Antipater appointed the older brother, Phaesal, governor of Jerusalem, and appointed Herod in 47 B.C., at the age of twenty-five, to be …show more content…
Herod arrived with heavily armed guards with a dual purpose, to protect against possible hostilities and to intimidate the people. Gelb describes how Herod prepared as well by writing, “Instead of being attired modestly, as was customary in such circumstances, he had donned an elegant cloak. Nor did he show any sign of being submissive, as was also expected, and he’d had his hair specially trimmed, as if he were attending some sort of celebration.” (GELB P 20)
With a desire to maintain power, and to further establish a dynasty, Herod would send his children to Rome in order to be educated. Herod’s influence was such that some of his children were even given the opportunity to be educated in the same home as Augustus. (ROLLER P 3) Not only did Herod’s children receive some of the best education for the time but his children were married off to eastern rulers at the time, thereby creating a dynastic network that spread and was able to endure until the second century A.D. (ROLLER P
Herod’s rise to power, as it were, began when Antipater appointed the older brother, Phaesal, governor of Jerusalem, and appointed Herod in 47 B.C., at the age of twenty-five, to be …show more content…
Herod arrived with heavily armed guards with a dual purpose, to protect against possible hostilities and to intimidate the people. Gelb describes how Herod prepared as well by writing, “Instead of being attired modestly, as was customary in such circumstances, he had donned an elegant cloak. Nor did he show any sign of being submissive, as was also expected, and he’d had his hair specially trimmed, as if he were attending some sort of celebration.” (GELB P 20)
With a desire to maintain power, and to further establish a dynasty, Herod would send his children to Rome in order to be educated. Herod’s influence was such that some of his children were even given the opportunity to be educated in the same home as Augustus. (ROLLER P 3) Not only did Herod’s children receive some of the best education for the time but his children were married off to eastern rulers at the time, thereby creating a dynastic network that spread and was able to endure until the second century A.D. (ROLLER P