Herod I is one of the Bible s most complex figures. A brilliant politician and the greatest builder in Jewish history, he was also a paranoid madman who ruthlessly executed anyone he deemed a threat to his absolute power, whether legitimate rivals, family members, or innocent babies. Crowned King of the Jews by the Roman Senate, Herod ruled from 40 BC until his disease-ridden death 36 years later. A prodigious builder, Herod expanded the Second Temple in Jerusalem, of which only the famed Western Wall remains. He constructed fortresses at Masada, Antonia, and Herodium; the port city of Caesarea; the huge edifice atop the Cave of the Patriarchs in Hebron; and massive fortifications around Jerusalem, as well as three towers at the city s entrance.
Herod Agrippa I was the ruler of the Roman province of Juda during the crucifixion, which modern astronomers have calculated took place on Friday, April 3, 33 CE. A confederate of the deranged Roman...
Porcius Festus was the Roman procurator of Judea, holding the post from AD59-62. According to Acts of the Apostles, Festus declared St. Paul insane and sent him to Rome for trial.
Widows Mite: Judean Prutah. Bronze prutah of Alexander Janeaus, king of Judaea, minted ca. 100 BCE. The widows mite mentioned in the Gospels of Mark and Luke - Jesus parable about a poor widow who...
From AD 66 to AD 70, Judaea took up arms against their Roman occupiers. Fueled by patriotism and anger against Emperor Nero's taxation policies, the revolt was initially successful. However, soon the...
Magnentius was a military commander in Gaul who rebelled against the Roman emperor Constantius II, removing and killing his junior colleague Constans, in the west. He appears to have had widescale...
