A review by socraticgadfly
Herod King of the Jews and Friend of the Romans by Peter Richardson, Peter Richardson

challenging dark informative slow-paced

4.5

A good book, with a critical interrogation of Josephus based on reading between his lines about what Nicholas of Damascus said, as well as Herod-related writings of Strabo, etc., plus previous academics. In essence, to the degree it’s possible, Richardson is doing redaction criticism on Josephus as part of this book. He also examines Fergus Millar, E.P. Sanders and other academics. This would certainly be considered at least semi-academic, and definitely a “sympathetic” bio.

 

First, the biggie from Richardson, and the biggest outrightly new thing to me. He says that, with the possible exception of one or two towns that were centers of Cos worship, the Hasmonean conversion of the Idumeans, as well as their incorporation into the Hasmonean realm, was voluntary. Related? Herod himself was no “half-Jew” or “forced Jew.”

 

Now, Herod did erect a temple to Baal Shamayim (Shemim as articulated by Richardson) in the Gaulanitis area community of Si’a. He did erect a temple to Augustus at Panias, along side the old temple to Pan, in part to “neutralize” the cult’s fostering by the Ituraean king.  (Panias later became the Caesarea Philippi of Biblical times.)

 

Now, the Imperial-type eagle that gave so much offense? Richardson doesn’t call it a nothingburger, but hints that the level of umbrage taken was not in accord with reality. He calculates its position as being on a bridge to one of the lesser temple gates, and at that spot, explicitly says it would not have been visible from the temple itself.

 

From here, lesser items, not necessarily new to me, but new on focus etc.

 

Antiochus IV, he says, was trying to center the Seleucid realm on Zeus Olympios (He started a temple in Athens, too) to battle with Rome with a unified empire to avenge his father’s defeat at Magnesia. In other words, he was thinking offensively, not defensively.

 

Pompey’s “settlement” was specifically designed to roll back Hasmonean power.

 

Thinks all four Josephan “parties” may go back to 2nd century BCE. He discusses reasons why Josephus has no name for his “fourth party.” Ties this to the “brigands” Herod suppressed in Galilee and Iturea and Gaulanities.

 

Jannaeus’ coins all bilingual, with the Hellenistic cornucopia, etc. Sadducees gained power standing by accepting Jannaeus fusing priest and king. He told Salome to favor Pharisees on his deathbed. Josephus in his different books is especially botched on this era. Josephus also has a lot of quiet about the peak of Herod’s rule, circa 25-10 BCE.

 

Herod negotiated Scylla and Charybdis on the Temple project. The priesthood et al eventually signed off, even with the greater number of courts AND even with Herod apparently choosing an architect with knowledge of the Leontopolis temple. He also got Augustus to sign off, who surely originally feared this as a rallying point for Diaspora Judaism. Even Jerusalem without temple was somewhat that during the Qitos War.

 

NOTE: There is a second edition, with updated discussions of Herod’s building work, and with photographs of that, plus with more, and presumably better, maps. (The variety of cross-hatchings used on maps in this original edition is not good.)

 

The poor maps and a couple of other sidebar issues leave this a bit below a full 5 stars but it’s a solid 4.5