Rensselaer Republican, Volume 16, Number 43, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 3 July 1884 — The Herodian Family. [ARTICLE]

The Herodian Family.

The Herodian family occupy a not very enviable position in the sacred Scriptures. Herod the Great, King of the Jews, was the second son of Antipater and Cypros, an Arabian lady of noble decent, and was born at Ascalon, Judea, about the year 72 before Christ. At an early age he obtained the Govemship of Galilee, broke up the hordes of robbers that then infested the province, and put many persons to death bn his own authority, which caused him to be summoned before the Sanhedrim on complaint of having killed Jewish citizens without trial. His judges were awed by the martial host that came with him to the trial, and by intimidation he secured an acquittal. He enjoyed the support of Brutus and Cassius, Mark Anthony, and Augustus, the lat er confirming him in his kingdom. He still pushed himself forward; had Hyrcanus put to death on the charge of treason; his own wife was murdered, as well as her two sons, and several near relatives and chief counselors. A fearful disease was consuming him in the latter part of his reign, and it was then ho ordered the execution of his son and the massacre of the children at Bethlehem. The murderer of the innocents, in anticipation of his death, gave orders that the principal Jews, whom he had shut up at Jericho, shonld immediately after his decease be put to death, that mourners might not be wanting at his funeral. Herod was married to no fewer than ten wives. According to the custom of the times; he made his sons the heirs to his kingdom by a formal testament, leaving fts ratification to the Emperor; so Archelaus became Tetrarch of Judea, Samaria, and Idumaea; Philip of Trachonitis, and Itursea; and Herod Antipas, of Galilee and Perssca. There followed this Herod a numerous brood of whom the less said the better. —lnter Ocean.