Herod Archelaus

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Herod Archelaus (

With this explicit background given, Josephus began an exposition of the days of Archelaus' reign before Passover of 4 BC. Archelaus dressed in white and ascended a golden throne. He appeared to be kind to the populace in Jerusalem, in order to appease their desires for lower taxes and an end to the (political) imprisonment of Herod's enemies. The demeanor of the questioning appeared to turn at some point, and the crowd began to call for the punishment of those of Herod's people who ordered the death of the two teachers and the 40 youths. They also demanded the replacement of the High Priest, from the appointed High Priest of Herod's to a High Priest, "of greater piety and purity".^[7] Josephus does not tell who would be "of greater piety and purity". To this request, Archelaus acceded, although he was becoming angry at the presumptions of the crowds. Archelaus asked for moderation and told the crowds that all would be well if they would put aside their animosities and wait until he was confirmed king by Caesar Augustus.

Archelaus then left to feast with his friends. It was evening and as the darkness settled, a mourning and wailing began over the city. Archelaus began to worry as people started streaming into the temple area and those who wailed for the loss of the teachers continued their very loud mourning. The people were escalating in their threatening behavior. Henry St. John Thackeray's translation of Josephus here states it thus: "The promoters of the mourning for the doctors stood in the body of the temple, procuring recruits for their faction".^[8] Josephus does not tell us who these "promoters of the mourning", who recruit from within a body inside the Temple, could have been.

Archelaus then sent a general, some other people, and finally a "tribune in Command of a Cohort" to reason with these "Seditionists", to stop their "innovations" and wait until Archelaus could return from Rome and Caesar. Those who came from Archelaus were stoned, with many killed. After the stoning, those who stoned the soldiers returned to their sacrifices, as if nothing had happened. Josephus does not tell who performed the sacrifices in the Temple. It was after midnight, and Archelaus suddenly ordered the entire army into the city to the temple. Josephus records the death toll at 3000. Archelaus sent heralds around the city announcing the cancellation of Passover.

Archelaus quickly sailed to Caesar and faced a group of enemies – his own family. Antipas, the younger brother of Archelaus who was deposed from Herod's will days earlier, argued that Archelaus merely feigned grief for his father, crying during the day and involved with great "merriment" during the night. The threats carried out by Archelaus ending in the death of 3000 in the Temple were not just threats to the worshipers in Jerusalem at Passover, but also amounted to a threat to Caesar himself, since Archelaus acted in every manner a king, before such title had been given by Caesar.

At this point, Nicolaus of Damascus argued to Caesar that Archelaus acted appropriately and that Herod's will, supposedly written a few weeks prior (yielding the kingship to Archelaus and against Antipater), should be seen as valid. The change of this will in favor of Archelaus is given as Herod's true choice and, it is argued, occurred with Herod being in his right mind since he left the final decision to Caesar. The change of the will appears as one of Herod's last acts and it is attested from Jericho by one "Ptolemy", keeper of Herod's Seal. Nicholaus of Damascus had been Herod's confidant for years. He was loyal to Rome. Ptolemy was Nicholaus of Damascus' brother.

Archelaus, at the conclusion of the arguments, fell at Caesar's feet. Caesar raised him up and stated that Archelaus "was worthy to succeed his father".^[9] Caesar gave Archelaus the title of ethnarch and divided the kingdom. Rome would consolidate its power later.

Thus, Archelaus received the

Archelaus is mentioned in the

A nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom and then return ... But his citizens hated him and sent a delegation after him, saying, "We do not want this man to reign over us." ... "But as for these enemies of mine," [said the nobleman,] "who did not want me to reign over them, bring them here and slaughter them before me." (Luke 19:12, 19:14, 19:27)

Family tree of the Herodian dynasty

There are three princes by the name Phasael in the Herodian dynasty, all three mentioned by Josephus in "War" (BJ) and "Antiquities" (AJ):^[15]

• Phasael I, son of Antipater and Cypros (BJ 1.181; AJ 14.121)^[15]
• Phasael II, son of Phasael I (BJ 1.266; AJ 17.196)^[15]
• Phasael III, son of Herod the Great (BJ 1.181; AJ 14.121)^[15] and father of Cypros/Kypros, wife of Agrippa I^[16]

See also

• Herodian dynasty
• Herodian kingdom
• List of biblical figures identified in extra-biblical sources

References

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Herod Archelaus.

• ARCHELAUS by Abraham Schalit. Encyclopaedia Judaica article at Encyclopedia.com
• Herod Archelaus at
  Livius.org
• Archelaus by Richard Gottheil and Louis Ginzberg at The Jewish Encyclopedia

Herod Archelaus House of Herod Born: 23 BC Died: 18 AD
Preceded by King Herod the Great	Ethnarch of Judaea 4 BC–6 AD	Vacant governed by Agrippa I