#herodthegreat

[whencyclopedia]

The Magi are the visitors who came to Bethlehem to worship the newly-born Jesus of Nazareth in the gospel of Matthew (2:1-2). 'Magi' is a transliteration of the Greek magos from old Persian magus ("powerful") as a reference to the Zoroastrian priests of the later Persian Empire. They were also known as famous astrologers who attempted to understand the relationship of the powers in the universe to humans. In the King James Bible, the gospel of Matthew denoted them "wise men from the east to Jerusalem" (Matthew 2:1). In this sense, many considered that they had more knowledge about nature and the phenomena of nature. Thus, the English word 'magic' was derived from the idea that nature could be manipulated through this knowledge, for good or ill. Herodotus claimed that the magos were originally the aristocrats of the Median nation, who were also gifted with the interpretation of dreams. With the spread of Hellenism, magos became an adjective; magas techne, or ars magica in Latin, referred to the expertise of astrology and magical rituals. All these conceptual elements come together in Matthew's story.

[byfaithmedia]

The ancient Jewish vaults under the Temple Mount are off limits to be studied & explored.

[pasthistoricalevents]

Uncovering the TRUTH: Kings Who Were Actually MONSTERS

[juliahoskins]

Caesaria, Israel.

Layer upon layer of history.  A Phoenician port later built over by Herod.  (His private swimming pool is pictured.)  The Crusaders took hold in the 12th century to be booted out by the Mamelukes in the late 13th.

[angpama]

Mi último estiaje de 2020 en @laopiniondemurcia salió el pasado lunes 28 de diciembre, día que la iglesia católica celebra la festividad de unos "santos inocentes" supuestamente asesinados por orden de Herodes I el Grande, y en él repasaba brevemente de las razones históricas que demuestran la inexistencia de tal matanza. No traerlo aquí a Instagram aquel mismo día 28 por la noche, como hago cada lunes, fue simplemente un olvido por razones navideño-familiares, no una treta consciente para comprobar si alguién lo echaba de menos (cosa que de todas formas —todo hay que decirlo— tampoco sucedió) #ángelpaniagua #estiajes #laopinióndemurcia #wintercolumn #columnadeinvierno #december28 #28dediciembre #dayoftheholyinnocents #díadelossantosinocentes #gospelofmatthew #evangeliodemateo #newtestamentapocrypha #evangeliosapócrifos #herodthegreat #herodeselgrande #slaughterofchildren #matanzadeniños #thethreeewisemenfromtheeast #losreyesmagosdeoriente #flaviusjosephus #flaviojosefo #censusofquirinius #censodequirino #therewasnosuchslaughter #noexistiótalmatanza #iwasnottestingyou #noosestabaprobando #yasiesomedecíssiosgusta https://www.instagram.com/p/CJo_mFnl8dm/?igshid=1uf32w1zfyt1a

[duendearts]

Dead Sea from the Ruins of Masada, Israel © 2020 Orlando Gustilo. All rights reserved. #duendearts #photographer #travelisrael #israel #holyland #masada #travelphotography📷 #travelphotography #discoverisrael #canonphotography #herodthegreat #jewishhistory #history #archaeology #landscape #landscapephotography https://www.instagram.com/p/B9sPGFcgasD/?igshid=6osf1p762k0z

[whencyclopedia]

Caesarea Maritima

Caesarea Maritima was a city built over 2,000 years ago (c. 22-10 BCE) on the coast of the Eastern Mediterranean. With Roman engineering and largesse, Herod the Great (r. 37-4 BCE) accomplished this feat by constructing a whole metropolis with a colossal harbor that would make Caesarea the maritime trading oasis of its day.

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[byfaithmedia]

Excavations in Caesarea Maritima have revealed the prison where St. Paul was held, below the Governor’s Palace. Archaeologists are still searching & have found prayers of a Christian pleading for mercy inscribed within the dungeon.

[gatewaytoisrael]

The Pontius Pilatus Stone in #nationalpark of #cesarea is the name given to a damaged block (82 cm x 65 cm) of carved limestone with a partially intact inscription attributed to, and mentioning, #PontiusPilate, a prefect of the #Roman province of Judaea from AD 26–36. It was discovered at the #archaeological site of #Cesarea Maritima in 1961. The artifact is particularly significant because it is the only widely accepted #archaeological find, to date, of an authentic 1st-century #Romaninscription mentioning the name "Pontius Pilatus". The limestone block was discovered in June 1961 by Italian archaeologists led by Dr. Antonio Frova while #excavating in the area of an #ancienttheatre built by decree of #HerodtheGreat around 22-10 BC, along with the entire city of #Caesarea. #igourisrael #israeltours #israeltourguide #gatewaytoisrael #archaeologists (at Caesarea, Israel)

[leisahanks]

Ruins of Caesarea! Amazing!#trialofpaul#herodthegreat#israeladventure (at Caesarea, Israel)

[whencyclopedia]

Caesarea Maritima's Role in the Roman Empire

Caesarea Maritima, the city Herod the Great (r. 37-4 BCE) built for Rome on the southeastern coast of the Mediterranean served as the Roman Empire's powerbase of operations both commercially and militarily. With Rome's ultimate goal of adding Mesopotamia to its list of conquered territories, Caesarea would initially play an important role for Rome in the Near East.

Ancient Ruins of the Harbor at Caesarea Maritima

Ron Gafni (CC BY-SA)

The Parthian Factor

During the period when Caesarea Maritima and Herod's harbor were built, the extent of the Roman Empire included Europe, Anatolia, Northwest Africa, Syria, Phoenicia, and Egypt, but Rome's expansionist efforts did not stop there. Looking to expand beyond the immediate eastern Mediterranean areas, there was, however, Parthia: Rome's ablest competitor. A superpower in its own right, Parthia ruled a vast empire from 247 BCE to 224 CE. With control over an expanse of land ranging between the Mediterranean Sea in the west to India in the east, the most productive portion of its empire, key to its wealth and power, was the lucrative northern east/west Silk Road through Mesopotamia. Thus, any desire of Rome for expansion in the east would be molded and affected by Parthia's presence.

After Crassus (b. 115 BCE) had been defeated at the Battle of Carrhae, 53 BCE, and Mark Antony's Parthian campaign had failed in 36 BCE, a peace agreement was reached with Parthia, in 20 BCE. However, with the long-term strategy of still winning Mesopotamia, as Rome concentrated on solidifying control of the eastern Mediterranean region, Parthia's presence and jurisdiction of the silk routes through Mesopotamia was counterbalanced by the eastern trade network of ancient Rome via land routes through Arabia and sea routes by way of the Red Sea – and it would be Caesarea, with its strategic location, that would serve as Rome's base of power in the East.

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[byfaithmedia]

One of the highlights of Caesarea Maritima is the Pontius Pilate stone. This stone was mentioned in the Gospels but people didn’t know he was real until this inscription was found proving that the Gospels are a reliable source of history. Highlights also include the hippodrome, the vaults & the aqueduct.

[whencyclopedia]

The Infrastructure of Caesarea Maritima

Caesarea Maritima, an ancient metropolis in modern-day Israel, was a remarkable engineering accomplishment. Extending Rome's military and commercial presence in the eastern Mediterranean in the latter years of the 1st century BCE, Herod the Great (r. 37-4 BCE), as a client king, constructed a whole city complete with a temple, palaces, amphitheater, theater, paved streets, waterworks, and a colossal harbor.

The City's East/West Plan

Built on the ruins of a Phoenician village called Straton's Tower, the city of Caesarea Maritima and its harbor worked jointly to further Rome's economic and military presence in the region. With its sanctioned location between the harbor and the city, the temple would also be an integrated part of all activity. As the harbor was the place receiving and initiating the export of goods, and the city was the administrative center for political and economic activity, the temple – as it harbored the sacred images of Julius Caesar as a god and Juno as the patron goddess of Rome – symbolized the bestowal of blessings and protection on the harbor and city. As Kenneth Holum relates, "the sacrificial festivals held at the temple were themselves quintessential urban moments" (57). As Herod and his planners had the advantage of starting new, they would create the main east/west plan of the city around the temple, starting with the harbor west at the temple's foot, then with the adjacent construction of the city, east of the temple.

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[whencyclopedia]

The Infrastructure of Caesarea Maritima

Caesarea Maritima, an ancient metropolis in modern-day Israel, was a remarkable engineering accomplishment. Extending Rome's military and commercial presence in the eastern Mediterranean in the latter years of the 1st century BCE, Herod the Great (r. 37-4 BCE), as a client king, constructed a whole city complete with a temple, palaces, amphitheater, theater, paved streets, waterworks, and a colossal harbor.

Continue reading...

[whencyclopedia]

Herod's Harbor

Herod's Harbor was a giant port built between 22 and 15 BCE by Herod the Great (r. 37-4 BCE), Rome's client king. Situated on the lower eastern Mediterranean coast north of Alexandria and south of Tyre, with Rome's largess and building skills, this structure was an engineering feat and visual wonder of its world.

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[byfaithmedia]

The first gentile convert was Cornelius, who converted at Caesarea Maritima, making this one of the most important cities in the land of Israel during the time early Christianity. Acts 10:1