Herod Consolidates his Power. Herod’s accession marks the beginning of the Herodian dynasty—although this designation may be a misnomer since most of the Herodians were not actually kings but tetrarchs, ethnarchs, or other less grandiose rulers. Herod the Great enjoyed a great deal of autonomy and lengthy reign over a substantial territory. Near the beginning of his tenure, he managed to secure the good graces of Octavian (later Caesar Augustus) following the defeat of Antony at Actium (31 bc), even though he originally had been one of Antony’s supporters.

Domestic issues troubled him throughout his reign. Although his family had converted to Judaism several generations past and he was married to a Hasmonean princess, Mariamme, he was bitterly hated by his Jewish subjects. Perhaps as an attempt to gain their favor, he began a massive renovation and expansion project on the Jerusalem temple, which was not completed until ad 64. On the other hand, Herod earned a reputation for extreme cruelty toward anyone he considered a threat to his power. He had his wife and several of his children and other relatives executed, and according to Josephus, he ordered that at the time of his death (4 bc) many popular figures be killed to ensure that there would be mourning that day (Jewish War 1.660). Such views of Herod provide a plausible background for the “slaughter of the innocents” in Matt 2:16–18.