Herodias, who had also been married to two of Antipas’s half-brothers,
Herod Philip and Herod son of Mariamne, the daughter of Simon
Boethus. As a result, he incurred thewrath of both his former father-in-
law and the charismatic preacher John the Baptist (Mark 6:14-29; Matt.
14:1-12; Luke 3:19-20;Ant.18.116-19). Antipas’s defeat in battle against
Aretas and his army was seen by his subjects as just punishment from God
for the execution of John (Ant.18.113-16).
Despite his defeat by the Nabatean army, Antipas’s positive relation-
ship with Tiberius enabled him to survive on his throne. However, upon
the death of Tiberius in 37c.e.and the accession of Gaius Caligula,
Antipas’s status severely declined. One of Gaius’s early acts was to appoint
Antipas’s nephew Herod Agrippa, who was also Herodias’s brother, king in
the territory of Herod Philip. Herodias, who was supposedly jealous of her
brother’s rise in power, believed that her husband also should receive the
royal title. She therefore urged himto go to Rome and petition the new
emperor. However, because of the machinations of Herod Agrippa, who
disliked and distrusted his uncle, Gaius decided that Antipas was a traitor
and exiled him to Lugdunum in Gaul (present-day Lyon). Because of her
status as Agrippa’s sister, Gaius was willing to permit Herodias to retain
her property and not go into exile with her husband. Nevertheless, she vol-
untarily chose to share Antipas’s fate (J.W.1.181-83;Ant.18.237-54).Judea under Roman Rule (6-41c.e.)
Meanwhile, since Archelaus’s deposition in 6c.e., a Roman prefect or
procurator had governed Judea and Samaria, beginning with Coponius.
Josephus’s narratives provide most of the information about this period in
Judean history, although the Gospels also provide some information, spe-
cifically about Pontius Pilate. Coin evidence and some archaeological ma-
terial supplement Josephus’s testimony, but for the most part scholars rely
upon Josephus’s account. In general, his depiction of the Roman adminis-
trators is decidedly negative, and he asserts that their mismanagement
played a fundamental role in the downward spiral of the relationship be-
tween Rome and its Judean subjects. In this first stage of Roman occupa-
tion, however, Josephus’s narrative is rather neutral, and the majority of
these early governors receive minimal mention, which suggests somewhat
peaceful interactions (Ant.18.2, 29, 31-35). The sole exception to this is the
tenure of Pontius Pilate (26-36c.e.).53Jewish History from Alexander to HadrianEERDMANS -- Early Judaism (Collins and Harlow) final text
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