Changes

== Biography ==

== Biography ==

=== Early years ===

=== Early years ===

Herod was not Jewish at all, but Idumaean, a descendant of [[Esau]], who was also known as Edom. His father was [[Antipater]], a recent convert to [[Judaism]] and follower of [[John Hyrcanus]].<ref name=Catholic>Tierney, John J. "[http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/07289c.htm Entry for Herod]." ''The Catholic Encyclopedia'', vol. VIII. New York. Robert Appleton Co., 1910. Retrieved June 18, 2007 from [http://www.newadvent.org/ New Advent].</ref> His mother was [[Cypros]], a princess from the stone city of [[Petra]], capital of [[Nabatea]] in the mountain range that today belongs to [[Jordan]].<ref name=Livius>Lendering, Jona. "[http://www.livius.org/he-hg/herodians/herod_the_great01.html King Herod the Great]." <http://www.livius.org/>, 2007. Retrieved June 18, 2007.</ref><ref name=Greetham1>Greetham, The Rev. Phil. "[http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/p_greetham/wisemen/wmsoc9.html King Herod the Great]." ''[http://www.btinternet.com/~prgreetham/Wisemen/home.html The Nativity Pages],'' 2001. Retrieved June 18, 2007.</ref>

Herod was not Jewish at all, but Idumaean, a descendant of [[Esau]], who was also known as Edom. His father was Antipater, a recent convert to [[Judaism]] and follower of John Hyrcanus.<ref name=Catholic>Tierney, John J. "[http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/07289c.htm Entry for Herod]." ''The Catholic Encyclopedia'', vol. VIII. New York. Robert Appleton Co., 1910. Retrieved June 18, 2007 from [http://www.newadvent.org/ New Advent].</ref> His mother was Cypros, a princess from the stone city of [[Petra]], capital of Nabatea in the mountain range that today belongs to [[Jordan]].<ref name=Livius>Lendering, Jona. "[http://www.livius.org/he-hg/herodians/herod_the_great01.html King Herod the Great]." <http://www.livius.org/>, 2007. Retrieved June 18, 2007.</ref><ref name=Greetham1>Greetham, The Rev. Phil. "[http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/p_greetham/wisemen/wmsoc9.html King Herod the Great]." ''[http://www.btinternet.com/~prgreetham/Wisemen/home.html The Nativity Pages],'' 2001. Retrieved June 18, 2007.</ref>

Herod's family gained favor early with [[Rome]], mainly by an uncanny capacity to ally themselves with the winning side in Rome's Civil Wars. The first general to favor them was [[Pompey|Pompey the Great]], Rome's Special High Commissioner to the Middle East, who had come to gain victory, once and for all, over the "Two Kings," [[Mithridates]] of [[Pontus]] and [[Tigranes]] of [[Armenia]]. In the process, Pompey captured [[Jerusalem]] in 63 BC<ref name=JewishLib>Authors unknown. "[http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/biography/Herod.html Entry for Herod]." ''[http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/index.html The Jewish Virtual Library],'' American-Jewish Cooperative Enterprise, 2007. Retrieved June 18, 2007.</ref> and determined to settle the question of the high-priestly succession in which John Hyrcanus was involved. Pompey chose Hyrcanus over his rival, and Antipater and his family gained favor along with Hyrcanus.<ref name=Catholic/><ref name=Livius/>

Herod's family gained favor early with [[Rome]], mainly by an uncanny capacity to ally themselves with the winning side in Rome's Civil Wars. The first general to favor them was [[Pompey|Pompey the Great]], Rome's Special High Commissioner to the Middle East, who had come to gain victory, once and for all, over the "Two Kings," [[Mithridates]] of [[Pontus]] and Tigranes of [[Armenia]]. In the process, Pompey captured [[Jerusalem]] in 63 BC<ref name=JewishLib>Authors unknown. "[http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/biography/Herod.html Entry for Herod]." ''[http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/index.html The Jewish Virtual Library],'' American-Jewish Cooperative Enterprise, 2007. Retrieved June 18, 2007.</ref> and determined to settle the question of the high-priestly succession in which John Hyrcanus was involved. Pompey chose Hyrcanus over his rival, and Antipater and his family gained favor along with Hyrcanus.<ref name=Catholic/><ref name=Livius/>

Subsequently, the first of Rome's Civil Wars broke out between Pompey and [[Julius Caesar]]. Hyrcanus and Antipater sided with Caesar, and for that Antipater was made Procurator of Judea (in Greek, ''epitropos'') in 47 BC. Antipater appointed his son governor of [[Galilee]] in this year.<ref name=Greetham1/>

Subsequently, the first of Rome's Civil Wars broke out between Pompey and [[Julius Caesar]]. Hyrcanus and Antipater sided with Caesar, and for that Antipater was made Procurator of Judea (in Greek, ''epitropos'') in 47 BC. Antipater appointed his son governor of [[Galilee]] in this year.<ref name=Greetham1/>

The assassination of Caesar Dictator probably unsettled all of Rome's provinces. A Roman [[publican]] (literally, a private collector of Rome's taxes) poisoned Antipater in 43 BC. Herod had the offender executed. Shortly thereafter he was married to [[Mariamne I]], a member of the Hasmoneans, the other faction with whom the Hyrcaneans had struggled for so long. This gave him the basis to claim the kingship of the Jews.<ref name=Livius/><ref name=Greetham1/><ref name=JewishLib/>

The assassination of Caesar Dictator probably unsettled all of Rome's provinces. A Roman publican (literally, a private collector of Rome's taxes) poisoned Antipater in 43 BC. Herod had the offender executed. Shortly thereafter he was married to Mariamne I, a member of the Hasmoneans, the other faction with whom the Hyrcaneans had struggled for so long. This gave him the basis to claim the kingship of the Jews.<ref name=Livius/><ref name=Greetham1/><ref name=JewishLib/>

=== Wars of Conquest ===

=== Wars of Conquest ===