The True Herod - Herod the Builder

Herod, king of the Jews (40–4 bce)

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Vipsanius Agrippa, and Agrippa’s second best friend preceded only by Caesar. After the grave internal and external turmoil of the past years, the future of the Herodian kingship looked to stand on solid foundations. Not only were the territories annexed

by Cleopatra returned to Judaea, but Herod also received several Palestinian cities, including Samaria and Strato’s Tower, which was soon to be renamed Caesarea.166 His kingdom included Idumaea (part of present day Negev), Judaea and Samaria as well as various Transjordanian territories in the north-east, Trachonitis, Batanaea and Auranitis (Southern Syria and Northern Jordan) that were donated to him

by Augustus. The friendship between Caesar and Herod came only once under a cloud. In 7

BCE

Herod led a military expedition against the Nabataeans, which the

Emperor considered unauthorized, but the clever and tactful diplomacy of Nicolas of Damascus ironed out the misunderstanding and friendly relations were re-established at once.167 His friendship with Octavian, surnamed Augustus since 27

BCE,

enabled Herod to

send to Rome in 23/22 BCE his two sons by Mariamme, Alexander and Aristobulus, in order to ensure for them an education appropriate to their princely rank.168 They were received by Herod’s friend Pollio, probably the historian and former consul in 40 BCE, C. Asinius Pollio, and stayed in his house. Occasionally they even resided with Augustus himself in the imperial palace. The two young men returned to Jerusalem some five years later in the company of their father, at the end of Herod’s second visit to the capital of the Empire in 18/17 BCE.

Herod, the builder (25–13 BCE) The second epoch of Herod’s reign is chiefly distinguished by the splendour of his architectural projects. Without a doubt, he was the greatest builder in the Holy Land, planning and overseeing the execution of palaces, fortresses, theatres, amphitheatres, harbours and the entire city of Caesarea, and to crown them all, he organized the rebuilding of the Temple of Jerusalem. His enterprises displayed Hellenistic and Roman influence consonant with his aim to integrate his kingdom into the Empire of Augustus

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Herod the Great

without upsetting Jewish sensibilities. His personal contribution consisted in the choice of the sites and the planning of the projects. What has survived of his architectural masterpieces constitutes in a sense the most direct testimony of the true Herod.

This period started with a bad omen. A famine, resulting from an extended drought in 25–24

BCE,

delayed by a couple of years the start of his grandiose enterprises.

Witnessing the suerings of the population, Herod set out immediately to purchase with moneys obtained from the sale of his own valuables large quantities of food from Egypt and distributed it to the starving inhabitants not only of Judaea, but even to people living in some of the cities of Syria beyond the frontiers of his kingdom. His generosity ensured for him for a time the sympathy of the otherwise generally unfriendly Jewish population. In their eyes Herod still appeared as the usurper of the throne of the Hasmonaeans, to whom the people remained attached. Similar politically inspired benevolence culminated in the remission of one-third of the taxes to help economic recovery after the famine and some ten years later in 14

BCE

the same gesture was

repeated, this time rescinding one-quarter of the tributes due to the king, thus demonstrating the success of his rule and his care for his subjects. Yet, despite performing all these acts of benevolence, Herod never felt totally at home with Jews and was much more at ease in the company of Greeks.169 The purpose of the architectural projects of Herod was partly to provide security for himself and his family in the eventuality of a rebellion through the construction of palaces and palace fortresses, and partly to increase his fame inside his kingdom and in the outside Roman world through building activity honouring the Emperor. Such was the work accomplished at Samaria which he renamed Sebaste, the August City, from the Greek for Augustus (Sebastos), and by the creation of Caesarea (Caesar’s City) and its port, providing his kingdom with a wide opening to Mediterranean commerce and culture.

In Jerusalem, he reinforced the royal palace and erected, before the fall of Mark Antony, the Fortress Antonia next to the Temple, from where at the same time he could command the whole Temple Mount.

Samaria was turned into a stronghold. Herod also enriched it with a temple dedicated to the Emperor and provided it with a forum.170

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Herod, king of the Jews (40–4 bce)

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Figure 6.20 Map of Caesarea.

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