Herod Antipas was another of the many sons of Herod the Great. When his father’s kingdom was divided after his death, Antipas was given control of Galilee to the north and Perea to the east of Judea. Like his brothers Archelaus and Philip, Antipas ruled simultaneously over his portion of the divided kingdom under Roman authority and held the title if “tetrarch,” not “King”.
Antipas is most famously known for ordering the beheading of John the Baptist. According to the Gospels, John had very publicly criticized Antipas for marrying Herodias, the wife of his brother. Jewish society considered this incest. During a banquet, Herodias’s daughter danced for Antipas and his guests. Pleased with the performance, Antipas promised to grant whatever wish she asked. At her mother’s urging, she requested the head of John the Baptist on a plater, and Antipas reluctantly ordered the execution (Matthew 14; Mark 6).
Antipas also appears during the trial of Jesus. Because Jesus was from Galilee, the Roman governor Pontius Pilate sent Him to Antipas, who happened to be in Jerusalem at the time. Antipas questioned Jesus but ultimately mocked Him and returned Him to Pilate without issuing a sentence (Luke 23:6-12).
Antipas ruled for several decades before eventually being exiled by the emperor Caligula after political conflicts. His territories were later absorbed into other Roman-controlled regions.