The Life and Career of King Herod, and Its Lessons for Today

Herod the Great, who ruled Judea with Roman support during the final decades before the Common Era, is known from the New Testament as a cruel tyrant—although the wicked Herods who get the most attention in Chirstian scripture are his son and grandson who shared his name. In the Talmud, he is less of a grand villain but hardly the subject of much admiration. He was, however, a fascinating individual with ties to Cleopatra, Augustus Caesar, and other great men and women of his day, and he built up much of Jerusalem—including what is now known as the Western Wall.