Who was the successor to King Herod?

Question

Looking at the New Testament [specifically Matthew chapter 2] King Herod dies [before the birth of Jesus]. In the book of Acts chapter 12 King Herod re-appears, killing James the brother of John [this is after the death of Jesus]

I'm guessing the King Herod in the book of Acts could be taking the name of the former King, or maybe the book of Matthew got it wrong...? I want to know who is the successor of King Herod and I ONLY want answers with supporting evidence/references.

Answer 1

King Herod the Great (or Herod I) was the king when Jesus was born. Mathew 2:1-19. He was not the only king in his family to use the name "Herod".



He died:

Mathew 2:14-15

So he got up, took the child and his mother during the night and left for Egypt, where he stayed until the death of Herod. And so was fulfilled what the Lord had said through the prophet: "Out of Egypt I called my son."



Mathew 2:19

After Herod died, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt 20and said, "Get up, take the child and his mother and go to the land of Israel, for those who were trying to take the child's life are dead."



His successor in Judea was his son Archelaus or Herod Archelaus.



Mathew 2:21 - 23

So he got up, took the child and his mother and went to the land of Israel. But when he heard that Archelaus was reigning in Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there. Having been warned in a dream, he withdrew to the district of Galilee, and he went and lived in a town called Nazareth. So was fulfilled what was said through the prophets: "He will be called a Nazarene."



There is also another son of Herod the Great named Herod Antipas who was made a tetrarca (ruler) in Galilea. This Herod Antipas is the one who apperas during the adult times of John the Baptist and Jesus.

Mathew 14:1-3

At that time Herod the tetrarch heard the reports about Jesus, and he said to his attendants, "This is John the Baptist; he has risen from the dead! That is why miraculous powers are at work in him."

Now Herod had arrested John and bound him and put him in prison because of Herodias, his brother Philip's wife,



The King Herod in Acts 12 is Herod Agrippa,nephew of Antipas, grandson of Herod the Great.

Answer 2

The Herodian dynasty were client kings of Rome.

Herod the Great: 37 - 4 BCE, rebuilt the the temple

Herod Archeleus: 4 BCE - 6 CE (Judea, Edom and Samaria)

Herod Philip I: 4 BCE - 34 CE (Jerusalem etc)

Herod Antipas: 4 BCE - 39 CE (Galilee etc)



There was also Agrippa I and Agrippa II. I don't know the years and areas they ruled over.



Most of the people writing the stories probably had some idea of the recent politics of the region and used it to frame their stories. Not consistantly, because Luke places the birth of Christ in 6 CE, after the banishment of Herod Archeleus, but Matthew places it during the reign of Herod the Great.

Answer 3

Herod the Great died (in 4 BCE) with three sons in good standing. So he split up the kingdom (with permission from the Roman overlords).



Herod Phillip II got Ituraea and Trachonitis

Herod Antipas got Galilee and Perea

Herod Archelaus got Judea.



Herod Archelaus was even more of a right bastard than his father and the complaints got to Rome who replaced him with Quirinius (who ordered the census) in 6 CE.



John the Baptist got done in on the orders of Herod Antipas.





The NT is not a good historical document here. Putting Jesus' birth both during Herod the Great's reign (3 magi, slaughter of the innocents), so before 4 BCE. And during the census ordered by Quirinius, so after 6 CE. So, when was it? Before 4 BCE or after 6 CE? It can't be both.

Answer 4

Herod Archelaus ruled after Herod the Great's death

Answer 5

Archelaus succeeded Herod the Great.



Originally Herod had selected Antipas, but at the last minute Herod changed his will and selected another of his sons, Archelaus.



Archelaus was not well liked and 10 years later, he was removed by the Roman government. Eventually Pontius Pilate was selected to fill his position.

Answer 6

There were three, Herod the Great, Herod Antipas, and Herod III.