Since Herod was appointed by Rome to rule over Judea, a mostly Jewish region, he was literally “king of the Jews.” However, Herod may not have actually been Jewish at all, at least by birth.

Antipater’s son Herod appealed to Rome for aid, and was appointed king of Judaea in 40 B.C. At that time Jerusalem was occupied by Parthian troops, fighting on behalf of the anti-Roman Jews.

Herod was the Jewish proxy ruler of the Holy Land under imperial Roman occupation from 37 B.C. and reigned for more than six decades. The ruler is known to have had a taste for extravagance.

King Herod will sound familiar to anyone who’s heard the Christmas story. King of Judea when Jesus of Nazareth was born, the ruler attempts to find and kill the baby after hearing that the ...

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But Herod's exact burial place remained a mystery for thousands of years. Then, in 2007, archaeologist Ehud Netzer announced he had discovered the king's final resting place.