Herod
An Edomite. Claimed to be a Jew. Was
not living the law. Was afraid of John.
Among the most infamous of
Edomites (Greek, Idumeans) was Herod the Great. He stands out as the quintessential
example of pride gone amuck. His massive ego has left us with a treasure trove of
archaeological sites he built in an effort to immortalize himself: the Temple
compound, the Herodium, Masada, and Caesarea Maritime, to name a few.
He killed anyone he perceived to
be a threat to his reign. Matt. 2:2-8
tells of Herod's murderous plot to assassinate the Lord Jesus in His infancy
because wise men from the East told Herod of the Baby born "King of the Jews."
Fanatical pride fueled his
relentless pursuit of power and generated such deep paranoia within him that it
motivated him to murder many members of his own family for fear that one of
them might usurp his coveted throne. Roman Emperor Augustus said bitterly it
was safer to be Herod's pig than Herod's son.
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