Often we think of Herod the Great only in context of how he ordered the massacre of infants in Bethlehem. In reality, he was a much worse person than some people know. Not only was he deranged, but he was surrounded with people of like character. Once his mother-in-law turned against her own daughter when Herod sentenced her to death. Her mother Alexandra wanted to try save her ownself, so she grabbed her daughter by the hair and began accusing her of betraying her husband. It is said that her daughter nobly kept her composure though as she went to her death. He also killed his wife’s brother out of jealousy, whom Herod himself had appointed as High Priest. Herod had him drowned. He was also responsible for building a large amphitheater where various kinds of contests took place. Here condemned men would fight wild animals.He enraged the Jewish people by having a golden eagle placed over the gate of the temple. When two men led a group of Jews to tear it down, he ordered them burned alive. Oddly enough though, he created a lot of building achievements.

He created the port of Caesarea, enhanced Samaria, and rebuilt the temple in Jerusalem. It is said that during the temple construction no rain fell during the daylight hours to halt construction, but only rained after dark. His personal life though was a tragedy, as shown by the murdering of his wife, her mother, her grandfather, her brother, two brother- in- laws, three of his own sons, and many others. He had ten wives in all which included a niece and a cousin. He died of disease at close to seventy years old. When he thought he was going to die, he had his sister Salome assemble all the distinguished Jewish men from all parts of the nation in the hippodrome. He instructed her as soon as he died to kill all of them. This was to insure a great grieving would take place at the time of his death and people would think it was for him. She never complied with his order and after he died she released all of them. One other odd thing about Herod’s life, he kept the dietary kosher laws. In his eyes he could murder people, he just couldn’t eat pork! That’s why it was said of him that it was safer to be a pig in Herod’s court than a relative.