Hitchhiker's Guide to Religion
Biblical

Herod Agrippa I

The King Eaten by Worms

Biblical Political power, persecution, divine judgment Ruled 37–44 CE (portions of Judea and eventually all of Palestine under Claudius); died 44 CE in Caesarea Judea, Samaria, Galilee, Perea; Caesarea Maritima (death site)
Portrait of Herod Agrippa I
Portrait of Herod Agrippa I
Rank King of Judea (41-44 AD) / Grandson of Herod the Great
Domain Political power, persecution, divine judgment
Period Ruled 37–44 CE (portions of Judea and eventually all of Palestine under Claudius); died 44 CE in Caesarea
Alignment Adversary
Power COMMON 44

Attributes

ATK
60
DEF
40
SPR
10
SPD
45
INT
65
CHA
47
WIS
44
END
40

Combat Profile

ATK DEF SPR SPD INT CHA WIS END
Special Move

Divine Retribution

Agrippa's persecution of the faithful draws swift divine judgment, causing him to waste away and perish within days as the Lord strikes him down for his hubris.

Passive

Mortal Ambition

Political power and earthly dominion are Agrippa's nature, granting him authority over kingdoms but leaving him vulnerable to forces beyond mortal control.

The most dramatically ironic death in Acts. Agrippa persecuted the church to please the Jewish establishment, killed James, and arrested Peter (who escaped via angel). Then at a public event in Caesarea, the crowd called him a god. He didn’t refuse the honor. “Immediately, because Herod did not give praise to God, an angel of the Lord struck him down, and he was eaten by worms and died” (Acts 12:23). Josephus independently confirms the event, describing Agrippa in brilliant robes, the crowd’s adulation, and his sudden death five days later from severe abdominal pain.

1 min read
Primary Source

Acts 12:1-23; Josephus, *Antiquities* 19.8.2

Ruled 37–44 CE (portions of Judea and eventually all of Palestine under Claudius); died 44 CE in Caesarea — See in timeline
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