An astute and generous ruler (Nat Geo tackles Herod the Great)

Curt Jester ^ | December 4, 2008 | Jeff Miller

[NYer]

An astute and generous ruler, a brilliant general, and one of the most imaginative and energetic builders of the ancient world, ...

Now who could the National Geographic be talking about? Why of course it is King Herod the Great!

Herod guided his kingdom to new prosperity and power.

He was all about hope and change.

Yet today he is best known as the sly and murderous monarch of Matthew's Gospel, who slaughtered every male infant in Bethlehem in an unsuccessful attempt to kill the newborn Jesus, the prophesied King of the Jews. During the Middle Ages he became an image of the Antichrist: Illuminated manuscripts and Gothic gargoyles show him tearing his beard in mad fury and brandishing his sword at the luckless infants, with Satan whispering in his ear. Herod is almost certainly innocent of this crime, of which there is no report apart from Matthew's account.

Wow I guess I can forget about the Holy Innocents. Thanks National Geographic!

But children he certainly slew, including three of his own sons, along with his wife, his mother-in-law, and numerous other members of his court. Throughout his life, he blended creativity and cruelty, harmony and chaos, in ways that challenge the modern imagination. [article]

Now I am confused. We know about how Herod murdered his relatives based on only one account by Josephus written around 93 or 94. Yet the account by Matthew written earlier and passed on by people living within living memory of King Herod is not credible. National Geographic also calls Josephus a "hostile biographer " So I guess the one source rule can be used selectively depending on the outcome you want. Besides somebody who murdered many family members out of a paranoid feat of being usurped could not possibly react like the Herod in Matthew's account - oh wait.

Just in time for Christmas National Geographic has the television show and a game called "Herod's Lost Tomb" available for multiple platforms and even the iPhone/iPod Touch. Too bad according to them the slaughter of the innocents isn't true or they could have released a First Person Stabber where you hack at under two year old's in Bethlehem. Surely next on the History Channel and the Discovery Channel we will soon get titles like "The Real Herod."

[NYer]

Once again, Nat Geo applies a double standard.

[Dr. Sivana]

Herod is almost certainly innocent of this crime, of which there is no report apart from Matthew's account.

Correction, there is no EXTANT report. A lot of good material has not survived 2,000 years. Since the best evidence has Matthew as the earliest Gospel, written well before 70 AD, I don't think that a whopper on a historical fact of that magnitude would have flown with the earliest reader. People would still have been talking about it as having happened in their lifetimes.

[silverleaf]

They ought to nominate Herod as family man of the year.

Except for the fact he killed his wife Mariamne, mother-in-law, 3 sons, brother-in-law, anyone who intruded into his paranoia or stood between him and his fantasies of grand legacy ... yada yada yada

Yes he was a “noble” (by marriage) ruler whose model of rule was about breaking eggs to create magnificent omelets, rather Stalinist which is of course admired by the left

I don’t think he hired union labor to upgrade the fortress at Masada into a 5-star luxurious bolt hole- how many bleached bones of slaves worked to death must lie in those ruins

[slnk_rules]

Jeroboam I and II were very effective political leaders, while being vile and wicked men. Herod was just another one. The most wicked king in the OT, Manasseh, was a fairly efficient and effective leader.

[slnk_rules]

Herod is almost certainly innocent of this crime, of which there is no report apart from Matthew's account.

The historical standards of authenticity the NT and OT are put to are really ridiculous. It is almost like "it is not true unless some other document affirms it."..... which makes you wonder what value, if any, secular historians accord it.

from the cuture of the Hittites to the tax of Caesar to Quirinius of Syria.... tons of fodder for the mockers out there until.... WHOOPS, HEY BOSS GUESS WHAT WE FOUND INSCRIBED ON THIS POTSHERD?

I think God has a sense of humor, myself.

[Designer]

"Once again, Nat Geo applies a double LEFIST standard."

There, fixed it.

Many of us have given up reading trash long ago.

[maryz]

Correction, there is no EXTANT report.

I recall seeing a TV show (EWTN?) years ago with a piece on Herod. Seems someone had done a demographic study on Bethlethem of 2,000 years ago, and based on estimated population, the number of male children under two would probably only have been a half dozen or so -- hardly a blip on the screen in view of all Herod's other depredations.

[Dr. Sivana]

I recall seeing a TV show (EWTN?) years ago with a piece on Herod. Seems someone had done a demographic study on Bethlethem of 2,000 years ago, and based on estimated population, the number of male children under two would probably only have been a half dozen or so -- hardly a blip on the screen in view of all Herod's other depredations.

I do not think it likely that Herod would have restricted his search to the immediate area. That's why the Holy Family had to clear out all the way to Egypt, out of his reach.

[liberalism is suicide]

National Geohogwash

[the invisib1e hand]

... guided his kingdom to new prosperity and power.

This is the standard by why which rulers are considered "great" or not.

[SunkenCiv]

This topic was posted 12/4/2008. Thanks NYer.