Mount Sinai is the mountain where Moses received the Law and the Ten Commandments from God (Exodus 19-20). The mountain is sometimes called Horeb in Scripture, and the two names generally refer to the same mountain or the surrounding mountain region.
Mount Tabor rises prominently out of the Jezreel Valley in northern Israel. In the Old Testament, it served as a gathering point for Israelite forces when Barak assembled troops to face Sisera’s army (Judges 4:5-14). In Christian tradition, Mount Tabor is often identified as the site of the Transfiguration, where Jesus revealed His glory to … Read more
Herod Agrippa II was the son of Herod Agrippa I and the great-grandson of Herod the Great. Unlike his father, he never ruled the full kingdom of his grandfather, but instead governed smaller territories in the northern regions under Roman authority. He ruled as a King as his father had, though over smaller territories than … Read more
Herod Agrippa was a grandson of Herod the Great and the son of Aristobulus IV. Unlike the earlier division of his grandfather’s kingdom among several sons, Agrippa eventually ruled over nearly the entire territory that Herod the Great had once controlled. Agrippa first received territory in 37 AD, when the Roman emperor Caligula granted him … Read more
Herod Philip, often called Philip the Tetrarch, was another son of Herod the Great. When his father’s kingdom was divided in 4 BC, Philip was given control of territories northeast of the Sea of Galilee, including Iturea and Trachonitis. He ruled at the same time as his brothers Archelaus and Antipas, each governing a portion … Read more
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 … Read more
Herod Archelaus was one of the very many whole-lotta sons of Herod the Great. When his father died in 4BC, the kingdom was divided among several of his sons, who ruled their territories simultaneously. Archelaus was given control of Judea, Samaria, and Idumea. Unlike his father, Archelaus did not hold the title of “King” but … Read more
Herod the Great ruled Judea from about 37 BC to 4 BC under Roman authority. Though remembered in the New Testament for ordering the Massacre of the Innocents after the birth of Jesus (Matthew 2) he was also known for massive building projects. Most famously, he greatly expanded the Second Temple in Jerusalem, turning it … Read more