Herod Antipas 

When Antipas’ father, Herod the Great, ordered the death of all the boy babies in Bethlehem, in the so-called “Massacre of Innocents,” Jesus' parents were forewarned and escaped to Egypt. After Herod died, his territory was divided among his sons, two of which were Archelaus and Antipas. After hearing of Herod’s death, Joseph and Mary returned to Palestine, but they feared Herod’s son and heir, Archelaus, now governor of Judea, might follow his father’s policy. Instead of settling in Bethlehem, they chose to raise Jesus in Galilee, in Antipas’ territory, thinking he would be less likely to seek and kill their child. Therefore, Jesus was raised in Nazareth, a village in south-central Galilee.Later, Jesus’ father, Joseph, was contracted by Antipas to help build his governor’s residence in Sepphoris, a city not far from Nazareth. It was there, in 8 CE, that Joseph died in a construction accident. Jesus was fourteen at the time and the oldest son. It fell to him to assume the role as head of the family. As such, he went to collect what was due to his father at the time of his death, but Antipas rebuffed him and refused to pay. For this unjust decision, Jesus never again trusted Herod Antipas. It is not surprising that Jesus once alluded to him as “that fox.”

In 26 CE, John the Baptist verbally and publicly attacked Antipas for having unlawfully taken another man's wife. Antipas decided to arrest John, which he did in June, 26 CE. Antipas talked with John on several occasions about spiritual matters, and Antipas was impressed, but he refused to release John, afraid he might start a rebellion. He also feared killing John because many believed he was a holy man, a prophet, and killing him might also spark a rebellion. Therefore, he kept John in prison.Antipas did, however, offer John freedom if he would agree either to leave his domains or refrain from all public activities. John refused all such offers. The situation was resolved at Antipas’s birthday celebration where his daughter danced and enchanted the drunken Antipas. In front of his guests, he foolishly promised her anything, even “half his kingdom” to thank her for the dance. When she asked her mother, Herodias, what she should ask for, she replied, “the head of John.” Antipas did not wish to kill John, but neither could he afford to lose face by withdrawing his promise. He granted her request and John died that night.

Antipas did not realize the lad who came before him to collect Joseph’s pay in 8 CE was the same one who appeared before him as a man condemned to death by the Jewish authorities in April, 30 CE. Before that second meeting, he had sent spies with orders to watch Jesus, having heard about Jesus’ miracles, healing the sick, turning water to wine, and raising the dead. And he feared him because of the call to make Jesus a king at the feeding of the five thousand. But he dared not kill Jesus, being uncertain what this miracle-worker might do to him. Some of his own household believed in Jesus, including the wife of his steward. This woman, Chuza, belonged to the women’s ministering corps, a group created and directed by Jesus. She told Antipas that Jesus did not propose to meddle with the affairs of earthly rule; that he was only concerned with the establishment of the spiritual brotherhood of his believers, which brotherhood he called the kingdom of heaven. Herod had confidence in Chuza’s reports, so much so that he refused to interfere with Jesus’ activities – for a time at least.Antipas’ attitude toward Jesus was also influenced by his superstitious fear of John the Baptist. Antipas was one of those apostate Jews who, while he believed nothing, feared everything. He had a bad conscience for having put John to death, and he did not want to become entangled in any plots against Jesus. Antipas knew of many cases of sickness cured by Jesus, and he regarded him as either a prophet or a relatively harmless religious fanatic. One of those cases was the healing of the son of a minor official of Antipas’ staff. Antipas also knew that his brother, Philip, was a half-hearted believer in Jesus, and had allowed Jesus to teach in his domain, an area north and east of Galilee.Despite his ambivalence about Jesus, Antipas did finally grant permission for the Sanhedrin to arrest him. He also sent search parties to apprehend Jesus while in his territory. For one reason or another, these plans failed. Finally, Pontius Pilate arrested Jesus at Jerusalem during the Passover of 30 CE. But Pilate was unsure what to do with him; he was afraid of killing Jesus because he was popular with the people, and they might rebel. And he also feared a rebellion sparked by the Sanhedrin who were calling for Jesus’ death. He questioned Jesus then sent him to Antipas hoping he might deal with him since Jesus was a Galilean. But Antipas knew Jesus was Pilate’s problem because he was arrested in Pilate’s domain. Antipas only mocked him for refusing to perform a miracle, then put an old robe on Jesus and sent him back to Pilate. That was the last encounter of Antipas and Jesus. Nine years later, Antipas was stripped of his authority and exiled after being accused of conspiracy by a relative.

Antipas was the son of Herod the Great by Malthace, his Samaritan wife, and brother to Archelaus, along with whom he was educated in Rome. After the death of his father, he was appointed by Caesar Augustus to be tetrarch of Galilee and Perea (Luke 3:1), that is, the southern part of the country east of the Jordan. Jesus as a Galilean was under his jurisdiction (Luke 23:6-12).Antipas first married a daughter of Aretas, an Arabian king; but later became enamored of Herodias, the wife of his brother Herod Philip, and his own niece. He dismissed his former wife, and induced Herodias to leave her husband and connect herself with him. Afterward, and at her instigation, he went to Rome to ask for the title of king. But while there, and before the emperor, Caligula, Herod Agrippa, his nephew and the brother of Herodias, accused him of conspiracy against Rome. Caligula believed Agrippa and banished Antipas to Lugdunum (now Lyons) in Gaul, about 41 CE, and the provinces which he governed were given to Herod Agrippa. Antipas was said to have died while in exile, but one historian declared he was killed by Caligula. This is an uncorroborated declaration.It was Herod Antipas who caused John the Baptist to be beheaded after promising his daughter her fondest wish. Her mother, Herodias, told her to wish for John’s head on a platter. (Matthew 14:1-12 and Mark 6:14-29). Antipas also appears to have been a follower, or at least a favorer, of the sect of the Pharisees (Mark 8:15). And it was he who mocked Jesus and sent him to Pilate, to be crucified.