Herod the Great

Herod I (c. 74/73 BCE – 4 BCE/1 CE), also known as Herod the Great, was the King of Judea from 37 to 4 BC.^[1] At the time Judea was a client state of Rome.^[2] During his 33 year reign, Herod was an excellent leader. But he is most famous for the Bible account of his killing the boys of Bethlehem.^[3] While this massacre of innocents is not confirmed by other historical records, Herod did murder countless rivals, a mother-in-law, a wife and three of his sons.^[4]

1. ↑ "Herod the Great". Livius.org. Retrieved December 8, 2016.
2. ↑ Mark Cartwright (September 12, 2016). "Herod the Great". Ancient History Encyclopedia Limited. Retrieved December 8, 2016.
3. ↑ "Matthew 2:16 When Herod realized that he had been outwitted by the Magi, he was furious, and he gave orders to kill all the boys in Bethlehem and its vicinity who were two years old and under, in accordance with the time he had learned from the Magi". biblehub.com. Retrieved 2017-12-07.
4. ↑ David Laskin (April 2, 2015). "Herod the Great's Israel". Retrieved December 8, 2016.