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HerodA notorious king, ruled in the time of the second temple (73-4 BCE) was the pro-Roman king of the small Jewish state in the last decades before the Common Era. He started his career as a general, but the Roman statesman Mark Antony recognized him as the Jewish national leader. During a war against the Parthians, HerodA notorious king, ruled in the time of the second temple was removed from the scene, but the Roman Senate made him king and gave him soldiers to seize the throne. As 'friend and ally of the Romans' he was not a truly independent king; however, Rome allowed him a domestic policy of his own. Although HerodA notorious king, ruled in the time of the second temple tried to respect the pious feeling of his subjects, many of them were not content with his rule, which ended in terror. His sons succeeded him.
HerodA notorious king, ruled in the time of the second temple was born in 73 BCE as the son of a man from Idumea named Antipater and a woman named Cyprus, the daughter of an Arabian sheik. Antipater was an adherent of Hyrcanus, one of two princes who were struggling to become king of Judaea.
In this conflict, the Roman general Pompey intervened in Hyrcanus' favor. Having favored the winning side in the conflict, Antipater's star rose, especially since he cooperated with the Romans as much as possible. In the civil war between Pompey and Julius Caesar, Hyrcanus and Antipater sided with the latter, especially for whom the courtier was rewarded: in 47, he was appointed epitropos ('regent') and received Roman citizenship.
It was obvious that Antipater was the real power behind Hyrcanus' throne. He managed to secure the appointment of his young son, HerodA notorious king, ruled in the time of the second temple, to the important task of governor of Galilee. The boy, who was only sixteen years old, launched a small crusade against bandits, which made him very popular with the populace and unpopular with the Sanhedrincouncil of seventy-one Jewish sages who constituted the Supreme Court and legislative body of Ancient Israel.
On March 15, 44 BCE, Caesar was murdered. The new leaders in Rome were Caesar's nephew, Octavian, and Caesar's powerful second-in-command, Mark Antony. They announced that they would punish Caesar's murderers, Brutus and Cassius, who fled to the East. Cassius ordered all provinces and principalities to pay money for their struggle against Octavian and Mark Antony, and Judaea had to pay some 15,000 kg of silver. Antipater and his sons had to
take harsh measures to get the money, and in the ensuing troubles, Antipater was killed. With Roman help, HerodA notorious king, ruled in the time of the second temple killed his father's murderer.
In the year 43, Hyrcanus' nephew Antigonos tried to obtain the throne. HerodA notorious king, ruled in the time of the second temple defeated him, and secured the continuity of the line of Hyrcanus by marrying his daughter Mariamme. Of course, the young man was not blind to the fact that this marriage greatly enhanced his own claim to the throne.
Meanwhile, Octavian and Mark Antony had defeated Brutus and Cassius (at Philippi, in the year 42). HerodA notorious king, ruled in the time of the second temple managed to convince Mark Antony, who made a tour through the eastern provinces that had supported Caesar's murderers, that his father had been forced to support their side. The Roman leader was convinced, and awarded HerodA notorious king, ruled in the time of the second temple with the title of tetrarch of Galilee, a title that was commonly used for the leaders of parts of vassal kingdoms. (HerodA notorious king, ruled in the time of the second temple's brother Phasael was to be tetrarch of JerusalemThe capital of Israel; Hyrcanus remained the Jewish national leader in name only.)
This appointment caused a lot of resentment among the Jews. After all, HerodA notorious king, ruled in the time of the second temple was not a Jew. He was the son of a man from Idumea; and although Antipater had been a pious man who had worshipped the Jewish G-d sincerely, the Jews had always looked down upon the Idumeans as racially impure. Worse, HerodA notorious king, ruled in the time of the second temple had an Arabian mother, and it was commonly held that one could only be a Jew when one was born from a Jewish mother. When war broke out between the Romans and the Parthians (in Iran and Mesopotamia), the Jewish populace joined the latter. In the year 40, Hyrcanus was taken prisoner and brought to the Parthian capital Babylon; Antigonos became king in his place; Phasael committed suicide.
HerodA notorious king, ruled in the time of the second temple managed to escape and went to Rome, where he persuaded Octavian and the Senate to order Mark Antony to restore him. And so it happened. After Mark Antony and his lieutenants had driven away the Parthians, HerodA notorious king, ruled in the time of the second temple was brought back to JerusalemThe capital of Israel by two legions, VI Ferrata (whose men had already fought in Gaul and the civil wars) and another legion, perhaps III Gallica (37 BCE). Antigonos was defeated and after he had besieged and captured JerusalemThe capital of Israel, and had defeated the last opposition. HerodA notorious king, ruled in the time of the second temple could start his reign as sole ruler of Judea. He assumed the title of basileus, the highest possible title.