In the Shadow of Herod
“Life & Ministry of the Messiah, Part 1”
from
“That the World May Know” series
Herod the Great
• King of Israel (37 – 4 BC) when Jesus was born
• Famous for his building projects
– Palaces/fortresses (Herodian, Masada, etc)
– The Temple in Jerusalem
• Infamous for his cruelty
The Herodian
• Looked over the site of many Biblical events
– Near the burial place of Rachel
– Near the route of Naomi and Ruth from Moab
– Near the fields of Boaz
– Near the place David killed Goliath
– Near the place where Samuel anointed David as
king
The Herodian
• 10 miles from Jerusalem
• 3 miles from Bethlehem
• Could see the Dead Sea and the mountains of
Moab across the Jordan River from there
Edom
• In the 1st century, Edom was called Idumea
• Herod was from Idumea
– He was an Edomite
– He was a descendant of Edom (the twin brother of
Jacob)
• Israel was now ruled by a hated Edomite
Prophecy
• Israel knew their Bible and the prophecies in it
• They knew that one day, they (descendants of
Jacob) would triumph over Edom (Herod)
Prophecy
• Israel knew their Bible and the prophecies in it
• They knew that one day, they (descendants of
Jacob) would triumph over Edom (Herod)
• Num 24:17-18 “17…A star will march forth out
of Jacob, and a scepter will rise out of Israel.
He will crush the skulls of Moab, and the
heads of all the sons of Sheth. 18 Edom will be
a possession, Seir, his enemies, will also be a
possession; but Israel will act valiantly.”
Prophecy
• Israel knew their Bible and the prophecies in it
• They knew that one day, they (descendants of
Jacob) would triumph over Edom (Herod)
• Malachi 1:2-3 “2…“Esau was Jacob’s brother,”
the Lord explains, “yet I chose Jacob 3 and
rejected Esau. I turned Esau’s mountains into
a deserted wasteland and gave his territory to
the wild jackals.”
DVD
• Watch the video (18 minutes)
Discussion
• Does Herodian impress you?
– 4 large defensive towers (one 120 ft tall)
– 7 floors/stories of apts, store rooms, etc
– Beautifully decorated
– Hot and cold water (aqueducts and cisterns)
– Entered via a 3 step staircase and a 200 ft long
tunnel
– Swimming pool 140 x 200 ft & 10 ft deep
• 40 ft diameter island in the middle of the pool
Discussion
• Bethlehem, 3 miles away
– Poor
– Tiny
– Backwater
– Overshadowed by the palace
• The shepherds and wise men visited the baby
Jesus literally under the “eye” of Herod
– And honored Jesus as King!
Discussion
• Compare Herod and Jesus
• If you had been alive at the time of Jesus’
birth, who would you have considered to be
powerful (Herod of Jesus?)?