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 ruled as an ethnarch under Roman authority.
- Judea – central/south-central region (Jerusalem, Bethlehem)
- Samaria – north of Judea
- Idumea – south of Judea
His rule quickly gained a reputation for brutality and instability. Ancient sources record that early in his reign, he ordered the killing of thousands of people during unrest in Jerusalem, which deepened resentment toward him among the Jewish population.
Archelaus appears briefly in the New Testament after the birth of Jesus. When Joseph learned that Archelaus was ruling Judea, he avoided returning to Bethlehem and instead took Mary and Jesus north to Nazareth in Galilee (Matthew 2:22).
Archelaus ruled for about ten years before the Romans removed him from power and exiled him to Gaul (modern day France, parts of Belgium, Switzerland, and northern Italy). After this removal, Judea came under direct Roman rule, which later included governors the likes of Pontius Pilate (and we all know him, right?)