DESPOT • by Joy P. Kaye — —— — “Herod the king, in his raging charged he hath this day His men o f might in his own sight all children young to slay.”
ally o f Julius Caesar. In turn, he was made a Ro man citizen and procurator of Judea. From the beginning of his rule in Galilee, Herod proved to be a magnificent strategist. Making each move with an eye for the spectacular he soon gained a reputation as a fearless young leader. In his rising popularity, the Jewish Elders saw a threat to their ancient office of ruling high priest. When he executed a band of robbers and their leader Hezekiah, the Jewish elders charged that he was taking too much authority upon himself and de manded action from Hyrcanus. Hyrcanus, the High Priest, was hesitant to do anything. As yet he was treated favorably by Anti pater and his sons. But the complaints of the elders were emphasized by the daily “ sit-in” at the temple staged by the mothers of the slain robbers until Hyrcanus reluctantly called Herod before the Sanhedrin. The scene enacted on the day o f Herod’s trial was without parallel in the history of the Jewish Sanhedrin. The most casual observer in Jerusalem could not have missed the drama surrounding it. Everyone knew the tactics used by those who were called before this court. Whether the accused were a man of great importance or an insignificant one, the outward appearance was always the same. Rich or poor, ruler or robber, the customary garment was a black mourning garb. Hair in disarray, man nerisms and speech practiced to show he was in fear for his life, the accused pleaded for sympathy. No wonder then that the Sanhedrin was struck dumb as Herod made his entrance. Before their unbelieving eyes he marched, tall and erect and surrounded by a body guard! As though they were
T h is a c c o u n t is b a s e d s o l e l y o n w r it in g s o f J o s e p h u s
t h e n i n e - v o ic e girls’ choir sang “ The Coventry ■ Carol” from a secluded spot in the rear of the sanctuary. Though they were young and inexperi enced, they had captured the mournful mood of this lullaby which tells the story of Herod’s slaugh ter of the innocents. It was Christmastime 1964 . . . our annual Sunday school program. As the girls sang, silent actors portrayed the visit of the wisemen to the court of Herod as related in Mat thew 2. The program went well, the audience was appreciative and we were glad we had chosen to use this lesser-known scene from the Christmas story. The girls’ vague familiarity with the story o f Herod had been transformed to a stark reality as they learned the song. So deeply were some of them impressed that they asked me over and over the age-old question, “What kind of a man could be so jealous of his throne that he would slay thousands of innocent babies in the effort to destroy the one bom King of the Jews?” That the heinous act was characteristic of Herod can be seen by the most casual examination of his life. And for the more serious reader a look into the writings of Josephus will reveal that from the beginning Herod was destined to be the devil’s despot. His rise to power could well be the story of the world’s greatest opportunist. He was made gover nor of Galilee by his father, Antipater, who had the knack of being in the right place at the right time. Through careful planning, Antipater, an Idu- mean general, made himself known as friend and
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TH E KING'S BUSINESS
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