The Herods

The Herods explores the Herodian rule from Herod the Great's father, Antipater, until the dynastic sunset with Bereniké, Herod's great-granddaughter, describing the theocratic aims that motivated Herod and his progeny, and the groups and factions within Judaism and Christianity that often defined themselves in opposition to the Herodian project.

This work presents an incredible historical novel based on the figure of Barabbas in the Gospel. The Canadian writer Bertram Brooker infused the work with engaging characters and a gripping storyline keeping the readers curious until the end.

Herod: King of the Jews and Friend of the Romans examines the life, work, and influence of this controversial figure, who remains the most highly visible of the Roman client kings under Augustus. Herod’s rule shaped the world in which Christianity arose and his influence can still be seen today. In this expanded second edition, additions to the original text include discussion of the archaeological evidence of Herod’s activity, his building program, numismatic evidence, and consideration of the roles and activities of other client kings in relation to Herod. This volume includes new maps and numerous photographs, and these coupled with the new additions to the text make this a valuable tool for those interested in the wider Roman world of the late first century BCE at both under- and postgraduate levels. Herod remains the definitive study of the life and activities of the king known traditionally as Herod the Great.

Agrippa II is the first comprehensive biography of the last descendant of Herod the Great to rule as a client king of Rome. Agrippa was the last king to assume responsibility for the management of the Temple in Jerusalem, and he ultimately saw its destruction in the Judaean-Roman War. This study documents his life from a childhood spent at the Imperial court in Rome and rise to the position of client king of Rome under Claudius and Nero. It examines his role in the War during which he sided with Rome, and offers fresh insights into his failure to intervene to prevent the destruction of Jerusalem and its Sanctuary, as well as reviewing Agrippa’s encounter with nascent Christianity through his famous interview with the Apostle Paul. Also addressed is the vexed question of the obscurity into which Agrippa II has fallen, in sharp contrast with his sister Berenice, whose intimate relationship with Titus, the heir to the Roman throne, has fired the imagination of writers through the ages. This study also includes appendices surveying the coins issued in the name of Agrippa II and the inscriptions from his reign. This volume will appeal to anyone studying Judaean-Roman relations and the Judaean-Roman War, as well as those working more broadly on Roman client kingship, and Rome’s eastern provinces. It covers topics that continue to attract general interest as well as stirring current scholarly debate. Maps 1 and 2 available in colour at www.routledge.com/9781138331815

Contents: Preface. Fergus Millar: Introduction: Overview of the Herodian World; Literary and Documentary Evidence - Tessa Rajak: Josephus as Historian of the Herods; David Braund: Greek and Roman Authors on the Herods; Daniel Schwartz: Herod in Ancient Jewish Literature; Alla Kushnir-Stein: Coins of the Herodian Dynasty: The State of Research; Tal Ilan: Ossuaries of the Herodian Period. Archaeology, Art and Architecture - Ehud Netzer: The Ideal City in the Eyes of Herod the Great; Joseph Patrich: Herodian Caesarea: The Urban Space; John Francis Wilson & Vassilios Tzaferis: A Herodian Capital in the North: Caesarea Philippi (Paneas) ; David Jacobson: The Jerusalem Temple of Herod the Great; Andrew Overman, Jack Olive, & Michael Nelson: A Newly Discovered Herodian Temple at Khirbet Omrit in Northern Israel; Yizhar Hirschfeld: Fortified Manor Houses of the Ruling Class in the Herodian Kingdom of Judaea; Sarah Japp: Public and Private Decorative Art in the Time of Herod the Great; Rachel Hachlili: Funerary Practices in Judaea During the Times of the Herods. The Herods in Context - Nikos Kokkinos: The Royal Court of the Herods; Shimon Dar: The Agrarian Economy in the Herodian Period; Duane W. Roller: New Insights into the Building Program of Herod the Great. Appendix - William Horbury: Christian Sources on the Herods; Jerry Vardaman: Research on Herodian Inscriptions since the Seventeenth Century; Israel Shatzman: The Formation of the Herodian Army: Hasmonaean Tradition and Roman Influence; Yoram Tsafrir: Herodian Building Projects and the Romanisation of Judaea.

Herod the Great, king of ancient Judea, was a brutal, ruthless, vindictive and dangerously high-strung tyrant. He had many of his subjects killed on suspicion of plotting against him and was accused of slaughtering children in Bethlehem when informed that a new king of the Jews had been born there. Among the victims of the murderous paranoia that ultimately drove him to the brink of insanity were his three oldest sons and the wife he loved most. But there was a crucial aspect to Herod’s character that has been largely ignored over the centuries. Norman Gelb explores how Herod transformed his formerly strive-ridden kingdom into a modernizing, economically thriving, orderly state of international significance and repute within the sprawling Roman Empire. This reassessment of Herod as ruler of Judaea introduces a striking contrast between a ruler’s infamy and his extraordinary laudable achievements. As this account shows, despite his horrific failings and ultimate mental unbalance, Herod was a fascinatingly complex, dynamic, and largely constructive statesman, a figure of great public accomplishment and one of the most underrated personalities of ancient times. History buffs and those interested in popular ancient history can are introduced to this ruthless tyrant and his victims.

The book, "" Antiquities of the Jews; Book - XVII "", has been considered important throughout the human history, and so that this work is never forgotten we have made efforts in its preservation by republishing this book in a modern format for present and future generations. This whole book has been reformatted, retyped and designed. These books are not made of scanned copies and hence the text is clear and readable.