Were Herod the Great and his son Jewish?
Herod the Great was king over Judea during the birth of Jesus. He is known for his many building projects in service to creating a stable relationship with the Jews he ruled. He was also known as a tyrant and a paranoid leader.
He killed multiple family members in order to keep his throne. He was always looking behind his back. History records that his father was from Edom, and he was not, therefore, Jewish. However, his father and he both converted to Judaism.
He would have been considered a Jew after conversion even though he was formerly a Gentile from birth and origin. He practiced the spread of Hellenism, spreading the Greek culture, within his borders.
His son, Herod Antipas, the Tetrarch of Galilee, was deposed in 30 AD. His father was from Edom and his mother was a Samaritan. He also was not Jewish, except that he most likely converted to Judaism so he didn’t to have problems with the Jews he ruled.
