King Herod the Great, though briefly mentioned in accounts of Bethlehem's tragedy, left an indelible mark on Judea during his reign from 37 to 4 BC. As a Roman-appointed king, the son of Antipater the Edomite, he shifted political control from the Hasmonean dynasty to his own Herodian lineage. Intelligent and charismatic, Herod used cunning to secure his throne under Caesar Augustus, transforming Judea through extensive building projects and the introduction of Greek culture, known as Hellenization, thus reshaping the world into which the Savior was born. Herod's political ascent began at age 25 as governor of Galilee, where his opportunistic and ambitious nature was evident. His swift execution of the bandit-chief Hezekiah, bypassing the Sanhedrin's legal process, earned Roman praise but Jewish scorn, leading to a trial from which he was acquitted under Roman influence, forcing him to flee to Damascus. Amid civil unrest and his father's assassination, Herod seized opportunity, gaining Roman support to depose Antigonus and claim kingship over Judea with a formidable army. His reign is divided into three periods. From 37 to 25 BC, Herod consolidated power, facing Jewish disdain as a half-Jewish usurper. He married the Hasmonean princess Mariamne to win favor, bribed the Pharisees for support, and brutally executed 45 prominent nobles to quell opposition, seizing their wealth for Roman tribute. He also navigated Hasmonean discontent over the high priesthood, appointing and later assassinating Mariamne's brother Aristobulus, and executed Hyrcanus and other relatives to eliminate threats. From 25 to 13 BC, the peak of his reign, Herod launched massive construction, including cities like Caesarea and the rebuilding of the Jerusalem Temple, while aggressively promoting Greek culture to align with Rome, though this stirred Jewish unrest. He increased taxes, banned assemblies, and imprisoned critics to maintain control. The final period, 13 to 4 BC, was marked by paranoia and tragedy, as he executed his sons Alexander and Aristobulus on suspicion of conspiracy, and later his son Antipater for an assassination plot. In his last days, fearing a new King of the Jews, Herod ordered the massacre of Bethlehem's male children under two years old, an act of unparalleled cruelty before his death from a painful illness. Herod's legacy shaped Judea's political, economic, and cultural landscape, expanding its territory and wealth under Roman influence while blending Jewish and Gentile elements. His appointments of successors like Archelaus, Antipas, and Philip further influenced the region's future, marking him as a towering, though morally repugnant, figure in Judean history.

Herod the Great, a significant figure in the tumultuous history of Judea, left a complex legacy of political maneuvering and violence. Before his death in 4 BC, he wrote numerous wills, each appointing different sons to various offices, with his final will naming Archelaus as king of Judea and his brothers, Antipas and Philip, as tetrarchs under the king. This decision sparked intense rivalry among his sons, leading to legal battles before Emperor Augustus in Rome. Herod's reign was marked by countless killings and offenses, inciting plans for revolt among prominent Jewish men seeking revenge after his death. His family, driven by a voracious appetite for power, consistently sought approval and friendship with their Roman overlords at any cost. Despite his political acumen, Herod's sanity was questioned by Antipas during the disputes over the throne, with claims that the final will was written in a state of insanity. Ultimately, Augustus, counseled by a mutual friend, ruled that Herod was sane when he composed his last will, shaping the subsequent division of power among his heirs.

During the Roman period of the Intertestamental Period, from 63 BC to the early first century AD, significant changes shaped the world into which Jesus Christ was born. In the war between Pompey and Caesar, Judah was temporarily overlooked, but after Caesar's death, under the triumvirate of Octavius, Antony, and Lepidus, Antony, the eastern triumvir, favored Herod the Great. Through his scheming, Herod secured the crown of Judah and extinguished the old Maccabean line of Judean princes. At the time of Jesus Christ's birth in Bethlehem of Judea, Herod, commonly called Herod the Great, had reigned for about 34 years. Even though the Romans allowed him to be called king, he was entirely dependent on the Roman emperor. He earned the title "the Great" due to his distinctions in wars against Antiochus and other enemies, as well as his talents in governing and defending his country, repairing the Temple, and building and ornamenting the cities of his kingdom. However, his cruelty and crimes were as notable as his governing accomplishments. When wise men from the East came to Jerusalem seeking the newborn King of the Jews, Herod was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. He gathered the chief priests and scribes to inquire where the Messiah was to be born, revealing his concern over a potential threat to his rule.

During the Roman Period, which began around 63 BC, Judea became a Roman province, and Rome exacted an annual tribute on her. Under the triumvirate of Octavius, Antony, and Lepidus, Antony favored Herod the Great, whose scheming ultimately secured for himself the crown of Judea, enabling him to extinguish the old Maccabean line of Judean princes. At the time of Jesus' birth in Bethlehem of Judea, Herod had reigned for about 34 years. Even though the Romans allowed Herod to be called king, he was in every way dependent upon the Roman emperor. He was commonly called Herod the Great because he had distinguished himself in the wars against Antigonus and his other enemies, and had shown great talents in governing and defending his country, in repairing the temple, and in building and ornamenting the cities of his kingdom. However, he was as much distinguished for his cruelty and his crimes as for his greatness in governing. When wise men from the East came to Jerusalem seeking the newborn King of the Jews, Herod was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him, prompting him to inquire of the chief priests and scribes about the birthplace of the Christ, which they identified as Bethlehem.

Herod the Great was the father of Herod Antipas, who ruled as Tetrarch over Galilee and Peraea. Herod the Great had spent 46 years rebuilding the Temple and was responsible for constructing many significant structures, including Caesarea, which was considered the most fabulous city in the world at that time. Portions of his architectural achievements still remain to this day, reflecting his passion for building beautiful edifices. Upon his death, Herod the Great divided his kingdom into three parts with the approval of the Roman emperor. He allocated Judea and Samaria to his son Archelaus, Trachonitis and Ituraea in present-day Syria to his son Philip, and Galilee and Peraea on the eastern side of the Sea of Galilee to Herod Antipas.

In 4 BC, Herod the Great died, leaving his kingdom to his three sons: Philip, Antipas, and Archelaus. Archelaus, who inherited Judea, Samaria, and Idumea at the age of 18, proved to be an ineffective ruler. His poor governance caused such frustration among the Jews that they appealed to Caesar for intervention. At that time, there was no Roman governor or procurator in the land, as the Jews were essentially self-governing under Herod and his family. Due to Archelaus's failures, Caesar responded by sending a governor to oversee Judea, Samaria, and Idumea, marking a significant shift in control starting in 6 BC.