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Herod Antipas
Herod
Antipas was known as the tetrarch of Galilee and Perea.
He was born in 21 B.C. and died in 39 A.D.
He was the son of the infamously known Herod the Great.
Little is known about Herod Antipas, though
he appears to have ruled well enough. He
had the cunning of his father Herod the Great, but didn’t have his diplomacy
or talent for war. Herod Antipas is known in the New Testament
story of John the Baptist. Herod Antipas divorced his first wife; the
daughter of Aretas IV (reigned 9 B.C. to 40 A.D.).
Aretas IV was the king of the Nabataeans, by the way.
Herod Antipas married Herodias who was actually the former wife of his
half brother Herod. This
precipitated a war with Aretas IV, with whom Herod Antipas lost.
John the Baptist comes in here, and out for
that matter. John condemned Herod
Antipas’ marriage to Herodias. Herod
Antipas ordered John the Baptist executed after being persuaded by Salome
through the plotting of Herodias (see Mark 6:14-29).
True to his word, Herod Antipas gave Salome whatever she wanted.
She received the head of John the Baptist on a silver platter as per her
mother’s request. Herodias got
what she wanted. And later Antipas went to Rome at the
urging of his determined wife and demanded to Emperor Caligula that he be
granted the title of king. All he
got for his greedy efforts, however, were being deposed of and being banished to
Lugdunum (Lyon) in Gaul. Herod Antipas was mentioned throughout the New Testament. Perhaps the most famous New Testament writing was when Pontius Pilate, the procurator of Judea, sent Jesus to Herod Antipas to be questioned.
© 2003 by Terra A. Mandrell ~ Please do not reprint or duplicate without permission.
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