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The paranoid king who tried to unalive baby Jesus
Historically Verified
One of the most archaeologically attested figures in the Bible. Josephus wrote volumes about him, his coins survive, and you can still visit buildings he constructed — the Herodium fortress, Masada, and the massive retaining walls of the Temple Mount in Jerusalem.
open_in_newHerod the Great ruled Judea from 37 to 4 BC under Roman authority. He rebuilt the Jerusalem temple on a grand scale and constructed fortresses at Masada and Herodium. He was ruthless, paranoid, and killed even his own family members to protect his throne. Matthew's Gospel records that he ordered the massacre of young children in Bethlehem after learning from the Magi that a new king had been born.