| Attribute | Value |
|---|---|
| Combat | ATK 78 DEF 72 SPR 5 SPD 55 INT 82 |
| Rank | King of Judea (37-4 BC) |
| Domain | Political intrigue, construction, paranoia, massacre |
| Alignment | Adversary |
| Weakness | Paranoia; murdered his own wife (Mariamne) and three of his sons |
| Key Act | Built the Second Temple expansion (one of the ancient world's greatest buildings); ordered the Massacre of the Innocents -- killing all male children under 2 in Bethlehem to eliminate the newborn "King of the Jews" (Matt 2:16) |
| Source | Matthew 2:1-18; Josephus, *Antiquities of the Jews* |
Augustus Caesar allegedly quipped: “It is better to be Herod’s pig than Herod’s son” (a pun: hus = pig, huios = son in Greek — Herod, as a nominal Jew, wouldn’t eat pork but would kill his children). He was a brilliant builder: the Temple expansion, Masada, Caesarea Maritima, Herodium. But he was consumed by paranoia. He executed his wife Mariamne, her mother, and three of his own sons. The Massacre of the Innocents (Matt 2:16-18) fits his character perfectly — though it’s recorded only in Matthew, not in Josephus. He died of a gruesome disease (~4 BC) and ordered that prominent Jews be executed at his death so the nation would mourn (the order was not carried out). The Holy Family’s flight to Egypt was to escape him.
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