Journal: Bibliotheca Sacra
Volume: BSAC 178:712 (Oct 2021)
Article: Dating The Death Of Herod And The Reigns Of His Sons
Author: Andrew E. Steinmann

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Dating The Death Of Herod And The Reigns Of His Sons

Andrew E. Steinmann

and

Rodger C. Young

Andrew E. Steinmann is Distinguished Professor of Theology and Hebrew at Concordia University Chicago, River Forest, Illinois; Rodger C. Young is an independent researcher in St. Louis, Missouri.

Abstract

In previous articles we have argued that the consensus view of the date for Herod’s death (early 4 BC) is contradicted by a variety of evidence and that Herod died in early 1 BC. In this article we examine the only remaining pillar upon which the consensus rests, the dating of the reigns of his sons who succeeded him. We note that ancient historians, notably Josephus, contain indications that Herod’s sons received royal prerogatives before Herod’s death. It is proposed that this happened during the year that began in Tishri 6 BC, and it was to this date that Herod’s sons back-dated their reigns, reigns that actually began sometime in 1 BC. We also examine the numismatic evidence of the coins issued by Herod and his sons and demonstrate that it confirms this view, thereby removing the final pillar that supports the consensus chronology for Herod’s reign.

Introduction: Problems With The Consensus Chronology For Herod The Great

The strongest argument for the consensus dating of Herod the Great’s death is that his three sons dated the beginning of their respective jurisdictions to 4 BC or shortly before. By taking inclusive numbering for Herod’s 37-year and 34-year reign lengths, as well as for the years of reign of Herod’s successors, the two sets of numbers seem to converge so as to place Herod’s death in the restricted time frame of Nisan 1 to Nisan 14 of 4 BC. The Nisan 1 starting date for this period follows from the consensus chronology that places Herod’s investiture by the Romans in late 40 BC and his capture of Jerusalem in the Nisan-based year that

BSac 178:712 (October-December 2021) p. 437

began on Nisan 1 of 37 BC. The Nisan 14 terminus ad quem for his death is because Josephus (Ant. 14.213/14.9.3) depicts Herod’s son Archelaus on the throne before the beginning of Passover not long after Herod died.

The problems with this chronology are numerous. Because they have been treated extensively in the preceding two studies in this series1 they will be summarized only briefly here: (1) Even if Herod died at the earliest possible point in the period from Nisan 1 to Nisan 14 of 4 BC, that does not allow enough time for the word to get from Jericho to Jerusalem to gather the articles for the funeral, the actual...