Part I: A Bird's Eye view of Biblical History 1. From King David to the start of the Hellenistic Period 2. From the arrival of Hellenization in Judaea to the outbreak of the Maccabaean Uprising 3. The Maccabee Trio: Judas - Jonathan - Simon 4. The Hasmonaeans from John Hyrcanus to Mattathias Antigonus Part II: Herod the Great Prologue: The main events of Roman history during Herod's age Introduction 1. Herod prior to his appointment as king (73/2 -40 BCE) 2. Herod, king of the Jews (40 - 4 BCE) (a) Herod consolidates his rule (37 - 25 BCE) (b) Herod, the builder (25 - 13 BCE) (c) The decline (13- 4 BCE) 3. Herod the Villain or Herod the Great (a) The portrait of Herod (b) Herod's character (c) Evaluation of Herod's positive and negative achievements Appendix: Herod in literature and cinema Part III: The Descendants of Herod in the New Testament and Josephus 1. Herod Archelaus (4 BCE - 6 CE) 2. Herod Antipas (4 BCE - 39 CE) 3. Herod Philip (4 BCE - 33/4 CE) 4. Herod Agrippa I (41 - 44 CE) 5. Herod of Chalcis (41-48 CE) 6. Herod Agrippa II (50 - 92/3 or 100 CE) Conclusion Chronology of Herod's life Bibliography Index
Geza Vermes provides a fascinating new portrait of Herod, examining Herod's legacy as a political leader, a potentate and a man of culture.
Géza Vermes was Professor Emeritus of Jewish Studies at the University of Oxford, UK and was one of the world’s greatest experts on the historical Jesus, Christian beginnings, and the Dead Sea Scrolls. With the publication of Jesus the Jew (1973) he introduced the idea of Jesus as a 1st-century Jewish holy man to the general public. His book The Dead Sea Scrolls in English (1962) introduced the English reader to the Scrolls, going on to sell over half a million copies.
This beautiful book has been produced with the dedicated skill of
Geza Vermes’ widow Margaret and a fine team at Bloomsbury/ T&T
Clark. Assembling an array of gorgeous illustrations to match the
lively text, they have created a lush product befitting Herod’s
aesthetic. This is a rich read, despite its brevity, demonstrating
the knowledge and understanding of an author at the peak of his
powers, even so close to his death. In this book that honours the
complex character of Herod, we have also an honourable tribute to
the exceptional historian who wrote it.
*History Today*
If the name Herod elicits the static image of a two-dimensional
villain for you, read this by the late Vermes ... Generously
illustrated with images from the time ... as well as maps, later
paintings, sculptures, and reliefs, and based on the author's
lifetime of scholarship, the text fleshes out this much maligned
character from biblical history. Vermes not only gives context for
Herod's negative reputation but also provides a fresh perspective
for appreciating admirable accomplishments (for example, renovating
the Jerusalem temple) and qualities (loyalty, savvy political
instincts, fondness for the learned Jews of his time) ... a clear
and winning introduction to a man both larger than life and fully
human.
*Publishers Weekly*
A gripping and scholarly work.
*The Spectator*
Géza Vermès died in 2013. He left behind him an astonishing corpus
of writing about Jewish and biblical history. This final little
book is very different from the mighty, ground-breaking scholarly
tomes, but it shares the same determination to challenge
preconceptions. It is intended, Vermès wrote in his introduction,
for “all and sundry”, and there is comfort in knowing that the
widest possible readership will, or should, encounter Vermès one
last time. You may, all along, have disagreed with some things that
he wrote, but you’d have been a fool to ignore them.
*Catholic Herald*
Vermes describes this intimate side of Herod's life with more gusto
than is usual for serious scholars, but it is somewhat refreshing.
The True Herod is altogether an attractive volume, with numerous
color photographs, maps and genealogical trees. It should be a
welcome addition to any library.
*Biblical Archaeology Review*
Knowing that this book was to be his last, [Vermes] poured into it
the accumulated research of decades, but at the same time fashioned
it into an elegant and entertaining account of the life and times
of one of the most fascinating and maligned figures in Jewish
history ... Vermes skilfully reduces the political intrigues and
military campaigns of this long reign to a succinct and readable
narrative. He also conjures up the magnificence of Herod's main
building works.
*Standpoint Magazine*
[In this book] Vermes opens up the fascinating character of Herod
... Colour images, combined with Vermes' lively prose make this new
picture of Herod an enticing and informative guide to one of
Ancient History's most misunderstood figures.
*Review of Biblical Literature*
Lavishly illustrated ... [This book] tells the story of Herod the
Great, the king of the Jews, and his successors ... [with] more
than seventy illustrations and pictures throughout.
*The Expository Times*
[A] delightful book ... on an interesting character, one of the
foremost men of his generation, which deserves to be widely
read.
*The Heythrop Journal*
This book is well researched and covers a huge area of material ...
[yet] Vermes sets out the historical background with brevity and
clarity that should be very welcome by all readers.
*New Directions*
In this final book of his career, published posthumously, Geza
Vermes’s insightful eye remains as sharp as ever. Rejecting the
traditional villainous presentation of Herod the Great, and drawing
on both literary and archaeological evidence, Vermes argues that
Herod was a complex figure, capable of terrible acts but also of
loyalty and diplomatic brilliance. Beautifully illustrated, and
written with a real relish for presenting a personality almost
larger than life, this book vividly explores the history of the
Jews, Herod’s stunning rise to power, the convolutions of Herod’s
personal and political life, his maniacal murders, monumental
architecture, death and legacy. Herod has both horrified and
fascinated us throughout the centuries, and this book superbly
captures why.
*Joan E. Taylor, King’s College London, UK*
In The True Herod, his richly illustrated account of this
much-maligned king of the Jews, Geza Vermes once again teaches us
that to write great history is also -- perhaps first of all -- to
tell a great story.
*Paula Fredriksen, Boston University, USA*
This is a fascinating journey into the past; the stimulating
narrative causes the reader to ponder, wonder, and speculate about
human frailties and fortunes. How does an evil genius succeed in
building monumental cities and the Temple, even bringing peace to a
tortured land? This biography of Herod, 'a genuine tragic hero,' is
another of Vermes’s monumental achievements from a life devoted to
research, study, and reflection.
*James H. Charlesworth, Princeton Theological Seminary, USA*
Few volumes of 181 pages have managed to say as much about Herod as
Vermes managed. In fact, none, known to me, have done so. What’s
most engaging and most important about this slim volume, though,
isn't the historical information ... What’s most important here is
the way that Vermes tells the tale. His book is, if I may be so
bold, artistically beautiful and aesthetically amazing. It is a
genuine pleasure to read- unencumbered by unnecessary rabbit
chasing or reference to irrelevancies ... Students beginning
historical studies and seasoned academics should pick up a copy of
this book. The former because they will learn the facts of Herod’s
life and legacy from one of our generation’s greatest most gifted
scholars. And the latter because they will re-learn facts long
forgotten and how to express those facts to readers in a sensible
and clear and concise way
*Zwinglius Redivivus blog*
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*Minerva*
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