2.20 Herod's Heirs

Herod’s kingdom was divided. The Romans took their own chunk. His sons Archelaus, Herod Antipas, and Philip received portions. Their success was mixed. Judea was never easy to rule, often breaking out into brigandage, even when run by Jews. Race riots between Greeks and Jews were common. Philip does not play a role in the New Testament story. Archelaus has a cameo part. Herod Antipas figures in the lives of Jesus and John the Baptist. Herod’s grandson Herod Agrippa I appears in the story of the arrest of St Peter. In the end, the Romans decided on direct rule. That did not work out so well. The Jews erupted in revolt in 66 AD, a revolt that finished with the destruction of the temple and the city of Jerusalem.