Herod and His Sons

Strabo

Geography 16.2.46

Late 1st Century BCE–Early 1st Century CE

Now Pompey clipped off some of the territory that had been forcibly appropriated by the Judaeans, and appointed Herod to the priesthood; but later a certain Herod, a descendant of his and a native of the country, who slinked into the priesthood, was so superior to his predecessors, particularly in his intercourse with the Romans and in his…

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The Greek geographer and historian Strabo provides a brief account of Herod’s reign and the struggle for succession that followed. He describes Herod as a skilled statesman but writes that his sons were not as successful as their father at maintaining political stability in Judaea, despite their good relations with Rome.

Strabo erroneously states that Herod’s father was also named Herod and that he was appointed high priest by Pompey. In fact, Herod’s father was Antipater I, and it was Antipater’s ally Hyrcanus who was appointed high priest.

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