= Antipater, the Idumean =
Antipater, the Idumean, was the father of Herod, the Great. He was from Idumea, also known as Edom, an ancient country of Palestine between the Dead Sea and the Gulf of Aqaba. According to the Bible, its original inhabitants were descendants of Esau.
Antipater was also known as Antipas, as was his father. He was married to Cypros, an Arab noblewoman from Nabatea. Although some list Antipater as descending from the Jewish remnant that returned from the Babylonian Captivity, it is more likely he was a an Edomite. Idumeans were forcibly converted to Judaism, so both Antipater and Herod were of the Jewish faith, but not directly descended from Jacob, rather from his brother, Esau. This non-Jewish and Arab ancestry of Herod is but one of many reasons why the Jews of Palestine resented Herod's kingship of Judea.
Antipater laid the foundation for Herod's ascension to the throne of Judea through his activities in the Hasmonean court. The Hasmoneans were the hereditary leaders of the Jews, having descended from the Maccabees. Antipater and Cypros had four sons: Phasael, Herod, Joseph, and Pheroras. They also had a daughter, Salome.
Antipater was a wealthy man, and was quite favored by his fellow Idumeans. He is described as active and seditious in his nature. Antipater was friendly with Hyrcanus and had enmity with his brother Aristobulus; both were Hasmonean princes. Their father, Alexander, had made Antipater general of all of Judea, for he had a rapport with the Arabians. Hyrcanus succeeded his mother as ruler, but bowed out in favor of his younger brother, Aristobulus. But Antipater continued to support Hyrcanus, and he advised Hyrcanus to put himself under the protection of the Arabian King Aretas III in Petra. Together they would attack Aristobulus in Jerusalem. Pompey put down the trouble, and made Hyrcanus the ethnarch of Judea. Antipater remained in charge of affairs of the state.
Palestine in the Roman province of Syria, of which Judea was a part, was split, and Idumea was eventually given to Antipater to govern. These divisions would later be seats of power for the descendants of Antipater. When Caesar defeated Pompey, Antipater aided Caesar in Alexandria, and was made chief minister of Judea, with the right to collect taxes. Antipater eventually made his son, Phasael, governor of Jerusalem, and Herod became governor of Galilee. After the assassination of Caesar, Antipater was forced to side with Cassius against Marc Antony. The pro-Roman politics of Antipater led to his increasing unpopularity among the Jews, and he was poisoned.
The diplomacy and artful politics of Antipater, as well as his insinuation into the Hasmonean court, paved the way for the rise of his son, the future Herod, the Great, who used this position to marry the Hasmonean princess Mariamne, endear himself to Rome, and usurp the Judean throne, to become King of the Jews.
Josephus, Flavius. Whistom, William (translator). (2003) "The Works of Josephus: Complete and Unabridged, Updated Edition" (17th printing). "The Antiquities of the Jews." "The Wars of the Jews." Peabody, MA: Hendrickson Publishers. ISBN 1-56563-167-6Note:
The number of Antipaters, Antipases, Herods, Philips, Marys, Josephs, Salomes, etc., at this time in history, makes differentiating among them quite a challenge.References
