Herod Antipas, son of Herod the Great by Malthrace, inherited Galilee and Perea, ruling with political acumen akin to his father but without the same ruthlessness or paranoia. His subjects lived quietly under his governance as tetrarch, never revolting against him. Antipas stands as a significant secular figure during the life of Jesus Christ, ruling Galilee where much of His ministry occurred, and being the Herod responsible for John the Baptist's death. His reign also continued his father's Hellenization efforts, though his lack of character proved to be his downfall. In the turmoil following Herod the Great's death in 4 BC, Antipas vied for the throne of Judea against his brother Archelaus, citing an earlier will of their father. Despite his efforts and support from much of Herod's family, Emperor Augustus sided with Archelaus as ethnarch, naming Antipas and Philip as tetrarchs. Returning to a war-ravaged Palestine in 3 BC, Antipas maintained relative peace in his regions through building projects, reconstructing Sepphoris and Livias, and founding Tiberias, a center of government and Greek culture in Galilee. Antipas' involvement with John the Baptist began with a politically motivated marriage to the daughter of Aretas IV, king of Nabataea, around AD 27, securing regional stability. Two years later, he divorced her for Herodias, his niece and brother Philip's wife, offending Aretas. Between AD 28 and 29, John the Baptist publicly denounced this marriage, leading Antipas to imprison him in AD 30, partly due to political threat and Herodias' resentment. In AD 31, at a birthday celebration, Herodias' daughter Salome danced and, at her mother's urging, requested John's head, which Antipas granted despite his sadness and prior regard for John, revealing his weak moral fiber. Antipas also played a key role in the life of Jesus Christ, with Galilee's economic disparities under his heavy taxation shaping the context of His teachings. During Jesus' trial, as recorded in Luke 23:6-12, Pilate sent Him to Antipas in Jerusalem during Passover. Antipas, hoping for a miracle and frustrated by Jesus' silence during interrogation, mocked Him but found Him innocent of the charges, returning Him to Pilate, an act that mended their strained relationship. In his final years, Antipas faced downfall starting in AD 36 when Aretas IV invaded Perea, and Roman aid faltered after Emperor Tiberius' death. Meanwhile, Agrippa, Herodias' brother, gained favor with the new Emperor Gaius and was granted additional regions. Urged by Herodias, Antipas sought the title of king from Gaius, but Agrippa's accusation of rebellion led to Antipas' exile to Gaul, with Galilee and Perea given to Agrippa, ending his political career.