Herod the Great and Jesus: Chronological, Historical and Archaeological Evidence

What is it about?

For historians, chronology is the backbone of history but, regarding ancient events, they are unable to build an accurate chronology. For example, the traditional date of 4 BCE for the death of Herod the Great, as set forth by E. Schürer (1896), has been accepted by historians for many years without notable controversy. However, according to the texts of Luke and Matthew, Herod died shortly after the birth of Jesus (Lk 1:5, 30-31; Mt 2:1-23), which can be fixed in 2 BCE (Lk 2:1-2; 3:1). Consequently, there is apparently a major chronological contradiction but in fact Josephus gives a dozen synchronisms that enable us to date the 37 years of Herod's reign from 39 to 2 BCE and his death on 26 January 1 BCE just after a total lunar eclipse (9 January 1 BCE) prior to the Passover (Jewish Antiquities XVII:166-167,191,213). Two important events confirm the dating of Herod's death: the 'census of Quirinius' in Syria (Titulus Venetus) which was a part of the 'Inventory of the world' ordered by Augustus when he became 'Father of the Country' in 2 BCE and the 'war of Varus' (Against Apion I:34) after Herod's death conducted under the auspices of Caius Caesar (Jewish War II:68-70), the imperial legate of the East, and dated during the year of his consulship in 1 CE (Cassius Dio LV:10:17-18; LV:10a:4).

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