Herod the Great

"Go and get accurate information about the child. As soon as you have found him, report to me, so that I too may go & honor him."

"In popular memory, Herod is inevitably associated with the Massacre of the Innocents. He also killed his wife, three sons and numerous opponents. Yet, he was the successful ruler of a kingdom that provided stability in a turbulent region and one of the great builders of his age, erecting fortresses, palaces, and entire cities. He lived in the shadow of the Romans, who installed and maintained him in power."

"Herod the Great was the half-Jewish, half-Idumean king of Judaea and Roman ally, whose 32-year reign saw colossal achievements and terrible crimes. He was a talented, energetic and intelligent self-made monarch who combined Hellenistic and Jewish culture, presiding over the rebuilding of the Jewish Temple, the embellishment and restoration of Jerusalem, and the building of great cities and impressive fortresses. In short, he created a large, rich and powerful kingdom with a special status at the heart of Rome’s eastern empire. Yet in his lust for power, women and glory, he became the bloodthirsty villain of the Christian Gospels and the despot of Josephus’ The Jewish War. Even though he did not actually order the Massacre of the Innocents, as told in the Gospels, he killed three of his own sons, as well as his wife and many of his rivals, and used terror and murder to hold on to power right up until his death."