Definitions for "Herod the Great"
Keywords:  judea, bce, jerusalem, roman, temple
Idumean ruler of Judea from 37 to 4 BCE and second-generation Jew, he allied with the Romans to defeat the Hasmoneans and institute the Herodian monarchy in Israel. Ancient secondary evidence suggests that he favored the Essenes.
(73-4 BCE) a vassal king of Judea ( from 37 BCE) appointed by Romans. A great admirer of Greco-Roman culture, Herod launched a massive construction program, which included the cities of Caesarea and Sebaste and the fortresses at Herodium and Masada. He also remodeled the Temple into one of the most magnificent buildings of its time. Known also for his unprecedented cruelty; in his obsession of power, he killed not only most of his political opponents, but also his wife Mariamne and three of his sons.
king of Judea who (according to the New Testament) tried to kill Jesus by ordering the death of all children under age two in Bethlehem (73-4 BC)