Acts 11, 12 & 13

A whole family of Herod's wreck havoc in the New Testament.

• Herod the Great reined from 41 B.C. to 1 B.C. This Herod received the wise men from the east and massacred the male babies. He married ten times.
• Herod Philip the First. First husband of Herodias, the woman responsible for the death of John the Baptist. He was the father of Salome. (Matthew 14:3)
• Herod Antipas. Ruler of Galilee and Peraea. Second husband of Herodias. He signed off on the beheading of John the Baptist. This is the Herod whom Pilate sent Jesus for trial. (Luke 23: 7)
• Archelaus. Ruler of Judaea, Samaria and Idumaea. Bad ruler who was hated by the people. (Matthew 2:22)
• Herod Philip the Second. Founder of Caesarea Philippi. (Luke 3:1)
• Herod Agrippa. (Acts 12)

The Jewish historian Josephus describes how Herod (Agrippa) made a grand entrance at what we might call a peace accord wearing a fancy silver robe. As the sun glinted on the silver the people cried out that 'a god had come upon them.' And that instead of rebuking the crowd, Herod revealed in their adoration. The ultimate in blasphemy. Suddenly a "terrible illness" fell upon him from which he never recovered.