For most of the Western world, Herod the Great is an icon of cruelty and evil, the epitome of a tyrant. Adam Kolman Marshak portrays Herod the Great quite differently, however, carefully drawing on historical, archaeological, and literary sources. He shows how Herod successfully ruled over his turbulent kingdom by skillfully interacting with his audiences—Roman, Hellenistic, and Judaean—in myriad ways. Herod was indeed a master in political self-presentation.
Marshak’s account chronicles how Herod moved from the bankrupt usurper he was at the beginning of his reign to a wealthy and powerful king who founded a dynasty and brought ancient Judaea to its greatest prominence and prosperity. He presents a new lens for understanding the powerful, notorious King Herod, ruler of ancient Judaea.
