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 into one of the most impressive structures in the region.
Herod was Idumean, not Jewish by birth, and relied heavily on Roman backing to maintain power. That insecurity influenced his extreme paranoia during his reign. Ancient sources record that he executed many rivals and even several of his own sons whom he suspected of plotting to overthrow him.
His relationship with the Jewish population was tense. At one point he placed a golden Roman eagle over the Temple gate, a symbol of Roman power that many Jews saw as a desecration of the holy site. The act provoked outrage and rebellion.
In the New Testament narrative, Herod receives a visit from Magi from the East who are searching for the newborn “king of the Jews”. Fearing a rival, and showing just how paranoid he had become, Herod ordered the killing of all male children under two years old in Bethlehem…because he was afraid a baby might take his throne.
Near the end of his life, Herod suffered from horrific illnesses described by ancient historians, including intestinal worms and severe infection and gangrene in his genital area. He died in 4 BC, and his kingdom was divided among several of his sons.
(Yes…. I see it, too. How did Herod the Great die four years before Jesus was born and still greet the Magi who came to see Jesus after he was born? That is way above my pay grade, but Jesus was likely born around 6-4 BC and it has something to do with the calendar system…)