King Herod: Mad Tyrant or Misunderstood Hero?

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  • เผยแพร่เมื่อ 15 มิ.ย. 2024
  • If you open a Bible to Matthew 2:16-18, you’ll encounter one of the most notorious stories in any religion. Suspicious of a prophesy about a new king, Herod the Great tricks the Magi into telling him where baby Jesus was born, then sends his soldiers to massacre every child under the age of two in Bethlehem. It’s a scene of shocking cruelty, one that has ensured King Herod’s name is still synonymous with evil today.
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    Source/Further reading:
    www.britannica.com/biography/...
    www.nationalgeographic.com/ar...
    www.livius.org/articles/perso...
    (Original 1906 text, good for some details, but obviously outdated in others): www.jewishencyclopedia.com/art...
    (Interesting notes on why Josephus and others may not mention Massacre of Innocents - size of Bethlehem plays a key role): www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religio...
    Pompey’s siege of Jerusalem: www.livius.org/articles/conce...
    Hyrcanus II: www.britannica.com/biography/...
    (A dissenting opinion): www.jvl.leverage.it/herod

ความคิดเห็น • 1.5K

  • @dankim1573
    @dankim1573 4 ปีที่แล้ว +244

    "Bob the Builder on cocaine" is one of the best lines I've ever heard.

  • @joshuahunt3032
    @joshuahunt3032 4 ปีที่แล้ว +877

    “...Augustus joked that it would be safer to be Herod’s pet pig than one of his sons...” Of all the records of any Roman emperor to survive to the modern day, I’m surprised we have evidence of Augustus’s dark sense of humor lol

    • @HyperionaSilverleaf
      @HyperionaSilverleaf 4 ปีที่แล้ว +66

      It was common for people to document nearly everything the emperors said or did.

    • @alanpennie8013
      @alanpennie8013 4 ปีที่แล้ว +26

      @@HyperionaSilverleaf
      It's a pun (in Greek) which to the ancients made it appear more profound.

    • @swim_ad
      @swim_ad 4 ปีที่แล้ว

      300

    • @MartinFlores-rd9oo
      @MartinFlores-rd9oo 4 ปีที่แล้ว +11

      Never mind the fact that a pig was considered unclean and could not be touch by Jews?

    • @Jejak_Pengangguran
      @Jejak_Pengangguran 4 ปีที่แล้ว +4

      Martin Flores Jewsus, aint Kosher

  • @noctusoverdroid425
    @noctusoverdroid425 4 ปีที่แล้ว +1066

    When you hit 1 million, you should do one about yourself: Simon Whistler. He's probably a really cool guy.

    • @PurplePinkRed
      @PurplePinkRed 4 ปีที่แล้ว +29

      I'm praying they do

    • @Biographics
      @Biographics  4 ปีที่แล้ว +360

      He's alright.

    • @ssbothwell
      @ssbothwell 4 ปีที่แล้ว +18

      Oh shoot! Yes please! It will e absolutely brilliant!

    • @riceracm
      @riceracm 4 ปีที่แล้ว +18

      NoctusOverdroid Pretty sure this comment deserves WAY MORE likes, a heart from Simon, and it should be pinned....man I hope they do a video about him...even a short one...

    • @DunnoJustLuckyIGuess
      @DunnoJustLuckyIGuess 4 ปีที่แล้ว +19

      @@Biographics Busiest bloke on TH-cam I reckon! I for one would love to learn more about him.

  • @garethfairclough8715
    @garethfairclough8715 4 ปีที่แล้ว +107

    I once played King Herod in a school nativity play. Part of one scene was him losing his temper, and as part of this I had to go stomping around, screaming etc.
    During the performance, I stomped once and the stage (which was one of those fold out temporary stages) collapsed. Nice!

  • @thebrocialist8300
    @thebrocialist8300 4 ปีที่แล้ว +96

    “Fake it til’ you make it.”
    -King Herod

    • @jesusrox4u
      @jesusrox4u 4 ปีที่แล้ว

      The Brocialist That sounds like something someone says when they’re bad at sex or when their spouse is bad at sex.

    • @HolyKhaaaaan
      @HolyKhaaaaan 3 ปีที่แล้ว

      Fake it until you think you're going to lose it in a violent way and then unleash your insanity and violent paranoia on the world...
      Doesn't quite roll off the tongue but more accurate.

    • @obiwankenobi9141
      @obiwankenobi9141 3 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      “You are the Christ, you’re the great Jesus Christ. Prove to me that you’re divine! Change my water into whine!”
      -king Herod.

  • @lucianoarrieta5786
    @lucianoarrieta5786 4 ปีที่แล้ว +627

    Damn, your biographics are getting better and better! I could watch them all day long even those of people that don’t interest me so much. You and your team make it so fascinating and interesting!

    • @waverider8549
      @waverider8549 4 ปีที่แล้ว +12

      Me too. I had no interest in Gianni Versace but ended up loving the episode. Thank you Biographics!

    • @ruedaphoebe
      @ruedaphoebe 4 ปีที่แล้ว +4

      Ditto on the all-day long part!

    • @garydixon332
      @garydixon332 4 ปีที่แล้ว +3

      Your channel and presentation are brilliant, I am a big fan. Keep it up. I watch them every day!

    • @Biographics
      @Biographics  4 ปีที่แล้ว +43

      Thank you everyone :). Really glad you are enjoying them!

    • @Xaiff
      @Xaiff 4 ปีที่แล้ว +3

      Had no interest in who King Herod really was, but the narration is THAT GOOD. I'm hooked! :D

  • @ErikHare
    @ErikHare 4 ปีที่แล้ว +49

    Herod had some extremely good Intel on the character of Octavius Augustus. He knew exactly what to say because people told him who he was dealing with.

    • @HolyKhaaaaan
      @HolyKhaaaaan 3 ปีที่แล้ว +4

      On one hand, one ought to be loyal. A ruler who doesn't get that won't get much done.

  • @pyromania1018
    @pyromania1018 4 ปีที่แล้ว +95

    "I would rather be Herod's pig than his son."
    ~Augustus

  • @mollympls
    @mollympls 4 ปีที่แล้ว +143

    Herod's late-in-life madness, possibly due to pain, is extremely similar to another king who became more and more paranoid as his physical pain increased: Henry VIII.

    • @HolyKhaaaaan
      @HolyKhaaaaan 3 ปีที่แล้ว +10

      There's something similar between them. Kings trying to hold earthly power by earthly means.
      Only difference is Herod tried to strengthen the Jewish religion while Henry VIII subverted Catholicism. But they did it for similar reasons.

    • @stevenyoutsey8989
      @stevenyoutsey8989 2 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      @@HolyKhaaaaan well said

    • @bezllama3325
      @bezllama3325 ปีที่แล้ว +3

      If you read Josephus you realize just how much of a soap opera Herod's reign was

  • @cupcake4177
    @cupcake4177 4 ปีที่แล้ว +161

    Legit though, I love when y'all cover people often considered the bad guy. It gives a humanity to history.

    • @gigglyme2001
      @gigglyme2001 4 ปีที่แล้ว +3

      I may be misunderstanding your comment but just to be clear Herod doesn’t deserve humanity, and it’s a fact he was the bad guy. Thankfully, this video makes it clear also.

    • @cupcake4177
      @cupcake4177 4 ปีที่แล้ว +21

      @@gigglyme2001 To deprive a historical character of their humanity is intellectually dishonest and dangerous. The fact is, all people think they are doing good, or at the very least, they have their back against the wall. That is the human part of history. That is what makes it worth studying. I would not have it any other way.

    • @gigglyme2001
      @gigglyme2001 4 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      Cupcake for All Herod kills babies and tortures people and he gets off with either believing he is doing good or his back against the wall. I don’t want his accomplishments to be recognized and I’m intellectually dishonest and dangerous. Makes sense. 🤦‍♀️

    • @cupcake4177
      @cupcake4177 4 ปีที่แล้ว +18

      @@gigglyme2001 Of course the massacre of innocence-if it ever happened-is morally reprehensible. In no way am I saying he is a good person, merely that he was human. If the events are true, it shows how humanity is capable horrible things. That is the lesson we need to learn. To deprive him of his humanity is to say that it can't happen to anyone. That is intellectually dishonest and morally inept. History, like it or not, is a story of humanity at their greatest and the worst. If you deprive the human aspect of history, you deprive it of any value.

    • @DeadlyVax
      @DeadlyVax 3 ปีที่แล้ว +3

      He murdered children lol

  • @abigailmiller8056
    @abigailmiller8056 2 ปีที่แล้ว +25

    "He was a man worth remembering" ending the video with that line was really touching

    • @johannesnicolaas
      @johannesnicolaas 8 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

      Herodes will be happy about this.

  • @MKGeorge13
    @MKGeorge13 4 ปีที่แล้ว +286

    Could you do one on King James? I know he has a version of the bible named after him. But other than that I know very little about him.

    • @TheLhester1965
      @TheLhester1965 4 ปีที่แล้ว +31

      He was much more than that. He was Mary Queen of Scots' son with Lord Darnley, whom Elizabeth I had considered for a consort. His dad tried to kidnap and murder him as an infant, and as s result, Mary sent James to Elizabeth for safety with the understanding that he would be in her line of succession. He actually ended up signing the death warrant when Mary was put to death. But, he's high on my wishlist, too.

    • @CherryVanityRawr
      @CherryVanityRawr 4 ปีที่แล้ว +7

      I mean just google King James of England and Scotland. There are loads of documentaries on here about the which hints that happened under his reign too

    • @rezkel7404
      @rezkel7404 4 ปีที่แล้ว +16

      He had a real hate for "witches" apparently and some stories even say he changed a verse in the bible from "Suffer not the poisoner to live" to "Suffer not the witch to live"

    • @simonkawasaki4229
      @simonkawasaki4229 4 ปีที่แล้ว +2

      OOH!! I would love that. Such a fascinating leader.

    • @stefanvasic9463
      @stefanvasic9463 4 ปีที่แล้ว +9

      MKGeorge13 Do you mean Lebron or England king

  • @jordanianchristian8387
    @jordanianchristian8387 4 ปีที่แล้ว +335

    Can you do Lawrence of Arabia? He is a legend and I can’t tell myth from facts. But as an Arab myself, he is still an important figure.

    • @robmorris3838
      @robmorris3838 4 ปีที่แล้ว +3

      yes i'm all the way behind your request!

    • @Pantsinabucket
      @Pantsinabucket 4 ปีที่แล้ว +3

      Jordanian Christian history buffs has a great video on him

    • @archstanton6102
      @archstanton6102 4 ปีที่แล้ว +13

      @AmazighStarNet. Can you provide reliable evidence of your claims about Lawrence and the Rothschilds?

    • @barbram8001
      @barbram8001 4 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      @@archstanton6102 Google it.

    • @NathanCassidy721
      @NathanCassidy721 4 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      I remember reading a comic on his life and he’s a rather tragic figure.

  • @AftermathRV
    @AftermathRV 4 ปีที่แล้ว +369

    Bob the builder on cocaine
    yep
    sounds baout right.

    • @ADEpoch
      @ADEpoch 4 ปีที่แล้ว +23

      Also, if it also relates to the real Bob the Builder, it could also explain why he sees his digging equipment talking to him.

    • @AftermathRV
      @AftermathRV 4 ปีที่แล้ว +4

      @@ADEpoch Pfff that got me laughing more then it should
      Also first heart. yay

    • @welshman8954
      @welshman8954 4 ปีที่แล้ว +6

      That would be the best Bob the builder episode EVER

    • @lizbrowder4151
      @lizbrowder4151 4 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      That made me laugh out loud

    • @JosephKeenanisme
      @JosephKeenanisme 4 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      I about peed myself laughing at that one.

  • @neodarlek
    @neodarlek 4 ปีที่แล้ว +15

    One tiny detail: You refer at one point to the Romans as Herod's "clients".
    In the Roman Patron-Client system, Herod would be the Client, and the Second Triumvirate would be his Patrons.

  • @bakecw001
    @bakecw001 4 ปีที่แล้ว +98

    This was really awesome man! Suggestions.
    1. Theodric the Goth
    2. Vercingetorix
    3. Ragnar
    4. Crazy Horse/Custer
    5. Mark Twain

    • @rikgales123
      @rikgales123 4 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      I think they need a little more then Just names, give a good reason why they are good subjects. Also its a commenly agreed upon that ragnar never was a real person.

    • @bakecw001
      @bakecw001 4 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      @@rikgales123 commonly is bold... let's say 50/50 haha

    • @rikgales123
      @rikgales123 4 ปีที่แล้ว +3

      @@bakecw001 i never found any source that stated ragnar is nothing more than mith. His children are al proven real but not with comen parents.

    • @bakecw001
      @bakecw001 4 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      @@rikgales123 Icelandic and Danish writing mention him... sure he could have been more than one person. It was common for viking to adopt children and for powerful warriors to claim that they were descended from famous past warriors or mythical warriors.
      I also think it would be cool for Simon and his team to really investigate the people that did mention him, and if the event could have really happened.

    • @rikgales123
      @rikgales123 4 ปีที่แล้ว

      @@bakecw001 yea thats fair. The could handel it like the King Arthur if they find nothing real on him

  • @ayaakovc
    @ayaakovc 4 ปีที่แล้ว +45

    As an Israeli I can say the Herod is mostly remembered here because of his architectural achievements. And as a religious Jew I can say that he is mostly remembered as the one who renovated the second temple, but was highly controversial.
    I only really learned about his connections to Rome much later in life, and heard of his connection to Jesus only this year when I went to the Herodion with my family.

    • @eoinsweetman9263
      @eoinsweetman9263 4 ปีที่แล้ว +6

      Free Palestine!!!

    • @BaldingClamydia
      @BaldingClamydia 4 ปีที่แล้ว +3

      That makes sense though, Jesus isn't as big of a deal over there right? I seem to remember Jews think he's a prophet or something similar?

    • @eoinsweetman9263
      @eoinsweetman9263 4 ปีที่แล้ว +3

      @@BaldingClamydia he's a prophet in Islam, I'm pretty sure he:s just a heretical false Messiah in Judaism.

    • @doronaznible7298
      @doronaznible7298 4 ปีที่แล้ว +2

      Eoin Sweetman jews believe he’s burning in hell

    • @eoinsweetman9263
      @eoinsweetman9263 4 ปีที่แล้ว +3

      @@doronaznible7298 Could be; to be honest I think any form of religious worship is a form of mental retardation at the very least and at worst is a full blown mental illness.

  • @kingrhaxos9068
    @kingrhaxos9068 4 ปีที่แล้ว +80

    It's nice to see a channel not afraid to go into stories concerning religious figures, I enjoyed the video, keep up the good work!

    • @deanromanado5850
      @deanromanado5850 4 ปีที่แล้ว +6

      @Meg megie except there is nothing in the bible that is historical. That's extremely laughable.

    • @arrogance8478
      @arrogance8478 4 ปีที่แล้ว

      @Meg megie highly accurate accounts of things that happened hundreds or thousands of years before, it's just like it was written by people who were there. Or do you mean all the parts that the Roman catholic church have hidden and kept out of your book? There might even have actually even been a guy named Jesus, who told people NOT to go to church, but it's all conjecture when the passages were written a lifetime after his death by zealots who enjoyed burning libraries of any other historical texts.

    • @PHAToregon
      @PHAToregon 4 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      Meg megie no it’s not 🤦‍♂️

    • @PHAToregon
      @PHAToregon 4 ปีที่แล้ว

      Meg megie history that is selective isn’t history, it’s biased fiction. History is the collective knowledge and study of what people have done since we began as a people; humanity predates the Bible and cultures around the world were completely oblivious to the Bible even after its creation in 325 CE for centuries (more like thousands of years). History isn’t selective and religious books are far from historical texts.

    • @PHAToregon
      @PHAToregon 4 ปีที่แล้ว

      Meg megie ok troll bait, go play with your tiny phallus.

  • @iapetusmccool
    @iapetusmccool 4 ปีที่แล้ว +19

    The Massacre of the Innocents: for the children of Bethlehem it was the most important day of their lives.
    For Herrod (and most contemporary record-keepers) it was Tuesday.

    • @PongoXBongo
      @PongoXBongo 4 ปีที่แล้ว +2

      A single death is a tragedy. A million deaths is a statistic. ;)

    • @BranDenhauer
      @BranDenhauer 4 ปีที่แล้ว +7

      For every contemporary record-keeper it was a Tuesday because it didn't actually happen. Given the excruciatingly detailed records of any actions by rulers under Rome, the fact that no record exists of thousands of babies being slaughtered on orders of the King (outside of one of the four gospels) says it was most definitely made up. The controversy among historians over this issue that Simon spoke of isn't that much of a controversy. There is a near perfect consensus among the vast majority of historians that the slaughter of the innocents was made up to add a parallel between Jesus and Moses. There is a tiny minority of vocal dissenters, but as these are all hardcore Christians their bias nullifies their opinion.

    • @Sakraida82
      @Sakraida82 4 ปีที่แล้ว +2

      @@BranDenhauer Very true, honestly "death of the innocents" was the ancient shorthand for "tyrannical despot."

    • @aprilbonnefoy7502
      @aprilbonnefoy7502 4 ปีที่แล้ว

      Sakraida82 Unfortunately so. A key part of a tyrant is that the tyrant lacks an understanding or care for the value of life. Tyrants are more or less the servants of death, their decrees and actions constantly creating and supporting death. Their actions go against growing life entirely, as they smash lives frequently and grow death in their stead.

    • @aprilbonnefoy7502
      @aprilbonnefoy7502 4 ปีที่แล้ว +3

      Celephaith Could you show me any sources as to how the mass slaughter of babies by Herod did not happen?

  • @ChefOuattara
    @ChefOuattara 4 ปีที่แล้ว +26

    I learn so much in these videos Simon, you know I never knew that the lives of Mark Anthony and Cleopatras overlapped with Herods. For some reason I always thought that they were around much earlier in history. You guys do great work, please keep it up.

  • @AeneasGemini
    @AeneasGemini 3 ปีที่แล้ว +16

    Dam, even when Augustus is included as a part of someone else's story, he still sounds like a G

    • @hihi-nm3uy
      @hihi-nm3uy 2 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      lmfao, idk why augustus is so likeable

  • @michaelbatts5655
    @michaelbatts5655 4 ปีที่แล้ว +5

    And yet another brilliant video presentation, Prof. Whistler! I love these vids. The serious yet humorously witty delivery and articulation always makes these orations rock. I still say you would make an incredible college history instructor.

  • @danebarringtonhurter4963
    @danebarringtonhurter4963 4 ปีที่แล้ว +4

    i have been watching all of your videos for ages now and must say your new editing/inserts and extravagance really does make the stories come to life, truly a joy to watch, thank you.

  • @TheLhester1965
    @TheLhester1965 4 ปีที่แล้ว +9

    I loved this one. It is so refreshing to see the Bible shored up by actual history. For my 53 years, I have only known Herod/Augustus by those two verses. It's amazing how many twists and turns it took to put him into that position. My favorite line: "Bob the Builder on cocaine." Thank you for, in my opinion, the best one yet!!!
    P.S. I love you, Simon Whistler!! Your delivery always bring the stories to life.
    My wishlist includes Henry VIII, Anne Boleyn, King James I and the Knights Templar/Oak Island mystery.

    • @deaconstjohn4842
      @deaconstjohn4842 6 หลายเดือนก่อน

      The bible is pure fiction, there's nothing to be shored up by actual history

  • @megaton666
    @megaton666 4 ปีที่แล้ว +4

    It should be noted that Herod escaping the death penalty isn't very unique, as everyone escaped it. The Sanhedrin had a death penalty, but not wanting to wrongly kill an innocent man, their standard of evidence was so high that it was literally never used.

  • @yuval0658
    @yuval0658 4 ปีที่แล้ว +187

    He wasnt born in palestine he was born in judea because the roman province of palestina wasnt a thing yet

    • @Isildun9
      @Isildun9 4 ปีที่แล้ว +35

      True, it didn't become Palestine until after the Third Jewish War, the Bar Kohkba Revolt, when the Romans had finally had enough of the Jews and their obstinance, and deported them from their homeland, and forbid them to return. The Jews broke the Two Rules of Peaceful Coexistence under Rome: #1, Pay your taxes, and #2, Don't Rebel.

    • @crowsader9943
      @crowsader9943 4 ปีที่แล้ว +14

      Judea was the name of the kingdom, Palestine is the name of a province/region, its a geographical name while judea is a political one.

    • @arielbemeliahu8619
      @arielbemeliahu8619 4 ปีที่แล้ว +11

      @@crowsader9943 not 2000 years ago though

    • @crowsader9943
      @crowsader9943 4 ปีที่แล้ว +8

      Ariel Eliahu geographical location names don’t change (well they do but that in this case) Judea was a political entity while Palestine was the name of the region that political entity encompassed. English did not exist back then so we use words which most accurately describe the location now. I’m sure the samaritans and judeans called the area something else but honestly I don’t think anyone cares enough to find out. Let’s be honest here the only reason people are bringing it up so much is because they equate Judea to Israel and the word Palestine to the Palestinians today. Which is fucking pathetic considering the two have nothing in common. Let’s keep modern political messes out of history.

    • @Stivonim
      @Stivonim 4 ปีที่แล้ว +8

      @@crowsader9943 but what you said is historically inaccurate, the word "palestine" is originating from a word in hebrew, which the jews speak, this word os coming from the word "invader", the philistines, which the jews called invaders got exiled by Nebuchadnezzar.

  • @jeremiemonette
    @jeremiemonette 4 ปีที่แล้ว +24

    Really interesting and informative! I love your moderate and neutral approach to history and the often more obscure characters you enlighten us about. People do good things, people do bad things, but they were interesting and noteworthy things.

  • @will2Collett
    @will2Collett 4 ปีที่แล้ว +9

    Very informative, thanks so much Simon Whistler. You do your research well. Thanks so much😁💓🙏🆗.

  • @toribarrett4876
    @toribarrett4876 4 ปีที่แล้ว +4

    This was so well done! These keep getting better and better. Great writing on this

  • @annoyed707
    @annoyed707 4 ปีที่แล้ว +59

    'New Maccabees'? What happened to the People's Front of Judea?

    • @turbofan67
      @turbofan67 4 ปีที่แล้ว +11

      Or the Judean People's Front ?
      Or the Front of the Judean People ?

    • @olivercuenca4109
      @olivercuenca4109 4 ปีที่แล้ว +18

      SPLITTERS!

    • @WildStar2002
      @WildStar2002 4 ปีที่แล้ว +8

      What have the Romans ever done for us? Apart from better sanitation and medicine and education and irrigation and public health and roads and a freshwater system and baths and public order...

    • @timmick6911
      @timmick6911 4 ปีที่แล้ว +2

      Romani Ite Domum

    • @WildStar2002
      @WildStar2002 4 ปีที่แล้ว +2

      @@eurofox994 my comment is a direct quote from Monty Python's comedic movie "The Life of Brian" in which the child Brian is born at the same time as Jesus and is mistaken for him as the Savior most of his life. This whole thread references the movie. :-)

  • @ansarahali95
    @ansarahali95 4 ปีที่แล้ว +2

    Love the thoughtful conclusions at the end. And Simon delivers them wonderfullly. Great job guys

  • @dulezninjaman4788
    @dulezninjaman4788 4 ปีที่แล้ว +43

    A biography on pirates anytime soon? Great vid.

    • @sebastiansandhu4695
      @sebastiansandhu4695 4 ปีที่แล้ว

      Lulz The History Guy fan?

    • @CorbCorbin
      @CorbCorbin 4 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      Don’t know if they ever argh!

    • @mtully4624
      @mtully4624 4 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      Pirates or Pilate (Pontious)! 😀

  • @mayuri4184
    @mayuri4184 4 ปีที่แล้ว +6

    Please do one on any of the following:
    • Jose Rizal (multitalented polyglot national hero)
    • Michael Jackson (King of Pop)
    • Queen Elizabeth I (one of the best monarchs of England)
    • Edward VIII (abdicated monarch)
    • Oda Nobunaga (Japanese warlord who began the unification of Japan)
    • Toyotomi Hidetoshi (completed Oda's job, invaded Korea)
    • Lawrence of Arabia (led the Arabs to revolt during WW1)
    • John Paul II (pope before the previous pope, canonised as saint)
    • Haile Selassie (emperor of Abyssinia/Ethiopia)
    • Läuri Torni (soldier of three armies)
    • Horatio Nelson (hero of Trafalgar)
    • Kangxi (longest lived emperor of China)
    • Tang Taizong (one of the greatest emperors of China)
    • Gaozu (founder of the Han dynasty)
    • Zheng He (admiral of the treasure fleets)

  • @MsLily2002
    @MsLily2002 3 ปีที่แล้ว +3

    Simon is fantastic at describing anything. He is a brilliant orator and keeps you intrigued right to the very end 👏👏

  • @HJ-he6hc
    @HJ-he6hc 4 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    My drive to work is approximately 25 minutes, I watch two of your videos a day. And I love them!

  • @jamesgrassia844
    @jamesgrassia844 4 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    As always very informative. Thank you.

  • @subvet3668
    @subvet3668 4 ปีที่แล้ว +3

    This guy is one prolific content creator. Just discovered this one. That history lesson was riveting. Well done.

  • @kathleenstewart409
    @kathleenstewart409 4 ปีที่แล้ว +8

    Wow! I never knew all this about King Herod. I enjoyed this one because of the historic detail (alot that I never knew, shame on me :-))and humor which is hard to do given the subject but you really pulled it off!! One of your best Simon.

  • @markgreen5000
    @markgreen5000 4 ปีที่แล้ว +2

    Simon and team you have the best presentation of all my subscription channels. Always great history and bios. Thanks y'all for what you do. BZ

  • @joanrankin2827
    @joanrankin2827 4 ปีที่แล้ว +2

    Nicely done! Really enjoyed this episode!

  • @yannschonfeld5847
    @yannschonfeld5847 4 ปีที่แล้ว +11

    Your work is always informative and professional. I find that on this topic, King Herod you have actually surpassed yourself. It could have been a thorny topic for some, but you magnificently walked through this mine field and in a manner that most people can understand. No small feat in this day and age. I could almost imagine King Herod in a modern day Jerusalem. Hated by some, loved by others. Thank you for your excellent work, research and admirable delivery.

  • @josephdestaubin7426
    @josephdestaubin7426 4 ปีที่แล้ว +3

    It might be useful to remember that Augustus had delusions about the disloyalty that his father suffered under. As well as the perceived disloyalty of Marc Anthony with respect to the second triumphant. And don't even get me started about Cleopatra's disloyalty to the memory of Caesar. So it's fair to assume that Harrods calculation about Augustus's value for perceived loyalty were just that: calculations. Great video by the way, even dare I say awesome, your best work yet.

  • @Dsmiles-xk8of
    @Dsmiles-xk8of 4 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    Great job, as usual!!! Can’t get enough of your videos. Very informative and interesting. Thank you...

  • @CesarGarciaJara
    @CesarGarciaJara 4 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    Great episode!!! Thanks for your work.

  • @OfficialFingazMC
    @OfficialFingazMC 4 ปีที่แล้ว +18

    I didn't realise how much I wanted to see this until I saw the title.
    Nice birthday suprise at half 1 in the morning.
    Great video as per mate :)

  • @auldgoat5644
    @auldgoat5644 4 ปีที่แล้ว +14

    I'm a ridiculous Ancient Near East fan and this was really magnificent. Thanks guys!

  • @johnhall1852
    @johnhall1852 4 ปีที่แล้ว +9

    A pretty fair and objective summary of a controversial historical figure. Great Job.

  • @benwil1715
    @benwil1715 4 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    Dude your monologue"BRILLIANT".......dont let it get to your head now!!!!...you dont need to modify anything....and the artwork leaves me with more of an image of "the times" and "occurances"...,a more intimate portrayal of your monologue......perfection is in the eye of the beholder.....

  • @Anthony_247
    @Anthony_247 4 ปีที่แล้ว +9

    Can you do one on Solomon? Also I love this channel. The topics are so diverse, and always interesting. Thank you!

  • @bradgillette9253
    @bradgillette9253 4 ปีที่แล้ว +7

    Ok. That was actually really good quick history. Thanks, again, Simon. To you and your team. However y'all do it: keep doing it!

  • @illuminickiblanco
    @illuminickiblanco 4 ปีที่แล้ว +2

    This channel is addictive.. Thx Simon for all the great content ❤

  • @davidlixenberg5999
    @davidlixenberg5999 4 ปีที่แล้ว +2

    I am tutoring a friend who wants to know English. I am using Williamson's Josephus. The book opens on the Maccabees as a lead-in to Herod. Thank you for this introduction to this subject.
    In Orthodox Judaism we are told that King David was promised "like this and this" so that he was authorised to have 18 queens. It follows that had Herod had 9 queens that wouldn't have been a problem. King Solomon's 1,000 queens would have been a problem. For any man.

  • @TheMagicalBIob
    @TheMagicalBIob 4 ปีที่แล้ว +63

    I wonder if Simon has nightmares of waking up with a mullet that refuses to be cut.

    • @scotthenrie5674
      @scotthenrie5674 4 ปีที่แล้ว +2

      You seriously need to learn more about history, and not the changed history you'll find online. Go to a library and read a book about the World Wars that was printed several decades ago.

    • @scotthenrie5674
      @scotthenrie5674 4 ปีที่แล้ว

      FYI, that's mandatory.

    • @scrotumus
      @scrotumus 4 ปีที่แล้ว +12

      @@scotthenrie5674 lay off the sauce

    • @scotthenrie5674
      @scotthenrie5674 4 ปีที่แล้ว +2

      @@scrotumus Regardless of what theories you may hold, if observation prove them wrong. Then you must have the humility to discard them and go with the evidence.

    • @HUASHU03
      @HUASHU03 4 ปีที่แล้ว +8

      @@scotthenrie5674 do you watch Rick & Morty?

  • @xxGhostXIIIxx
    @xxGhostXIIIxx 4 ปีที่แล้ว +12

    "building new stuff like Bob the Builder on cocaine" that is my quote of the day lol

  • @BoricuaPRoductionz
    @BoricuaPRoductionz 4 ปีที่แล้ว

    The comments below about the detail of Palestina vs Judea notwithstanding, I have to say this is the best video I have seen on this channel. The commentary between the historical details was the most poignant and thought-provoking I've seen from you guys so far. Just...well done, Biographics team. Really, really, really well done.

  • @chillcosby5658
    @chillcosby5658 4 ปีที่แล้ว

    Simeon, your work is nothing short of incredible

  • @Tansea
    @Tansea 4 ปีที่แล้ว +3

    Brilliant writing, outstanding presentation...

  • @Wkumar07
    @Wkumar07 4 ปีที่แล้ว +16

    Herod remains a truly fascinating, and tragic, figure whose role during both the history of Rome and Judea is awe inspiring. While at times a detestable tyrant he should also be remembered as something of a political savant and having the foresight to establish great engineering feats. I wish we had more historical sources from his age so we could understand more of who he was and what he did.

    • @gigglyme2001
      @gigglyme2001 4 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      I think the evil he bestowed on so many and in the world should take away any recognition rights you believe he should receive. I don’t care what his accomplishments were, he should solely be remembered for the blood and slaughter he left in his wake.

    • @Wkumar07
      @Wkumar07 4 ปีที่แล้ว

      @@gigglyme2001 then you would have to criticize countless others throughout history. Few historical icons are simply good or bad.

    • @kianghorbanpor9988
      @kianghorbanpor9988 4 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      @@gigglyme2001 if thats the case so you should remember all the kings in history for blood because there was no king who avoided bloodshed

  • @sproutsrevil6508
    @sproutsrevil6508 4 ปีที่แล้ว

    Another fascinating video Simon. Thank you

  • @billflood50
    @billflood50 ปีที่แล้ว

    Fantastic job on this. Great topic, and well-told.

  • @tigerprincess9222
    @tigerprincess9222 4 ปีที่แล้ว +8

    Really found this video interesting & very informative. I knew nothing of King Herod except what was in the Bible. P.S. I LOVE the way Simon delivered this video. Great use of sarcasm. Some parts even had me laughing. 😂

  • @toonbat
    @toonbat 4 ปีที่แล้ว +17

    He started out as Tywin Lannister, and ended up as Aerys II.

  • @sapprdaddy
    @sapprdaddy 4 ปีที่แล้ว

    Excellent presentation! Bravo. You detailed the circumstances surrounding the events and its impact on the individuals involved. You also articulated the psychological ramifications that led to why the various individuals made the decisions that they made. Bravo!

  • @craigh8861
    @craigh8861 4 ปีที่แล้ว

    Thank you for the details on King Herod

  • @Americanpride555
    @Americanpride555 4 ปีที่แล้ว +5

    Do one on Peter Francisco! He was a Revolutionary War hero and a literal giant. He came from a rich Portuguese family and was stolen by pirates and sold into slavery in the United States. George Washington once said he wasn't sure they could have won the war without him!

  • @rnedlo9909
    @rnedlo9909 3 ปีที่แล้ว +4

    Thank you for a comprehensive video about a controversial man. Harod was a ruler of his time, Caesar defeated a tribe in Gaul acquiring 110,000 captive women and children, He directed his army to conduct war games and slaughtered them in cold blood. That was only one example. So Herod was only a typical ruler, no more or less cruel than others of his time,

  • @romelnegut2005
    @romelnegut2005 4 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    This has been really interesting.
    Thank you!

  • @cassandraralph5906
    @cassandraralph5906 3 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    I learned something new today again! Well done indeed again, Simon!

  • @mobpsycho10099
    @mobpsycho10099 4 ปีที่แล้ว +41

    requesting the video about King Tshaka/Shaka the Zulu to be made please

    • @mobpsycho10099
      @mobpsycho10099 4 ปีที่แล้ว +4

      @@MrEvanfriend that's your opinion of him, but I feel a different way. Hence join me in requesting a video be made to share his legacy

    • @MrEvanfriend
      @MrEvanfriend 4 ปีที่แล้ว

      @@mobpsycho10099 He ate people. People who eat each other are savages.

    • @mobpsycho10099
      @mobpsycho10099 4 ปีที่แล้ว +2

      @@MrEvanfriend lets get the video made & see whether that's true or not

    • @MrEvanfriend
      @MrEvanfriend 4 ปีที่แล้ว

      @@mobpsycho10099 Why? There are plenty of available sources that will tell you that Shaka Zulu was a cannibal.

    • @baseupp12
      @baseupp12 4 ปีที่แล้ว +4

      @@MrEvanfriend Hold up Shaka Zulu was not a cannibal a great commander and leader of armies now he was a brutal leader who executed and massacred whole villages and he also went on a psychotic rampage after his mom died but he still wasn't a cannibal

  • @joshuaevans6295
    @joshuaevans6295 4 ปีที่แล้ว +5

    Thank you! I'm such a Roman-era Judea nerd! Do Flavius Josephus next!

  • @servetaya5542
    @servetaya5542 4 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    These videos are getting better every time you male them. Watching this one was certainly entertaining. Could you do a video on Ataturk, as well?

  • @lilmelvin11
    @lilmelvin11 4 ปีที่แล้ว

    Enjoying these tightly-edited, densley-informative videos!

  • @shockedtogami6807
    @shockedtogami6807 4 ปีที่แล้ว +7

    Never did I expect to hear Simon say Bob the Builder on Cocaine - if I said that I’d be cackling

  • @fisharepeopletoo9653
    @fisharepeopletoo9653 4 ปีที่แล้ว +3

    Weird that we have so much information about the madness of King Herod, yet only one chapter of one book full of magic that mentions the slaughtering of innocents.

  • @jameskosusnik1102
    @jameskosusnik1102 4 ปีที่แล้ว

    Finally the one I have truly(not that I have not been watching, I love your show and other channels) been waiting for since the last time you guys released a list of who was coming.

  • @bunnyalf
    @bunnyalf 4 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    Love your videos. Keep up the great work

  • @tobiasstewart9163
    @tobiasstewart9163 4 ปีที่แล้ว +4

    youre a legend simon (and friends)

  • @redman443
    @redman443 4 ปีที่แล้ว +14

    Do Constantine next please

  • @Uzbug
    @Uzbug 4 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    Quite informative. Thank you.

  • @SrulDog
    @SrulDog 4 ปีที่แล้ว

    Thank you for no mid-roll ads.

  • @rachel_sj
    @rachel_sj 4 ปีที่แล้ว +31

    I only knew a 2D version of Herod from my religious upbringing as a kid/teen but I’ve been doing a lot of research on the history of the Bible for the past couple of years. This is a pretty awesome history of the ruler. Thanks for another great biography!

    • @cezariusus7595
      @cezariusus7595 4 ปีที่แล้ว

      What did you find interesting while researching?

    • @jeanninematos994
      @jeanninematos994 4 ปีที่แล้ว +6

      The Bible has so much history... I really enjoy reading it! I'm such a history nerd!

    • @VoodooSB
      @VoodooSB 4 ปีที่แล้ว +2

      Dont use the bible for research. You might end up believing a lot of things that didnt really happen

    • @nwoudochiobinna3673
      @nwoudochiobinna3673 4 ปีที่แล้ว +6

      @@VoodooSB *rolls eyses*
      There's always people like you

    • @turtleofpride4572
      @turtleofpride4572 4 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      @@nwoudochiobinna3673 Religion distorts truth. there's alot that doesn't line up in the bible with known history. i appricate the lesson it trys to teach but its no historical guide.

  • @diannaroeder9661
    @diannaroeder9661 4 ปีที่แล้ว +11

    Well done! I like hearing back story on historical figures!! Would love to see more on authors like Alice Walker, Toni Morrison and Maya Angelou. Your attention to detail is impressive.

  • @InstigationFixation
    @InstigationFixation 4 ปีที่แล้ว +2

    Simon is incredibly animated in this video. I love it.

  • @RichA7CV41
    @RichA7CV41 4 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    Awesome job as always, this (and your other channel) rocks....fantastic presenter...

  • @CORPORAL-dn7nn
    @CORPORAL-dn7nn 4 ปีที่แล้ว +88

    Please do a video on Lt General Lewis B “Chesty” Puller!!

    • @JimFortune
      @JimFortune 4 ปีที่แล้ว +2

      Oorah!

    • @HideAndRead
      @HideAndRead 4 ปีที่แล้ว +2

      Smedley Butler is a great one too

    • @tailgatetails
      @tailgatetails 4 ปีที่แล้ว

      Yut

    • @JimFortune
      @JimFortune 4 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      @@tailgatetails "Yut"?

    • @JimFortune
      @JimFortune 4 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      @@HideAndRead Or Presley O'Bannon!

  • @nicko5945
    @nicko5945 4 ปีที่แล้ว +4

    I scroll right past these videos half the time now because I don’t recognize the little card anymore. I wish you would go back but if it’s getting you the views then nicely done.

    • @TheLhester1965
      @TheLhester1965 4 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      I think the new cards set them apart really well!!

    • @nicko5945
      @nicko5945 4 ปีที่แล้ว +2

      Linda Hester I think most people agree which ya. To me they just blend in now because everyone I feel tried to have something very colorful that will pop. When everyone does that my eyes start to gloss over because they all look the same. If it’s working for them though then keep it going.

  • @lifesacardgame6454
    @lifesacardgame6454 4 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    Brilliant video, thank you.

  • @johnbourget4160
    @johnbourget4160 4 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    It's quite possible that the children being killed was not reported elsewhere because it was in fact (though still horrific) only about five children. The town of Bethlehem was not very populated and so there would potentially only be a handful of male children under the age of 2. That is one possible explanation as we tend to think that it was hundreds of children murdered.

  • @nickv3472
    @nickv3472 4 ปีที่แล้ว +4

    Your work keeps getting better every week guys. Any chance of doing Blackbeard?

  • @ActiveAdvocate1
    @ActiveAdvocate1 4 ปีที่แล้ว +8

    PS: "Ozymandias" is about Ramses II: that's his Greek/Latin name. Can't remember which language. Think it might be Latin, though.

  • @elizabethnash7491
    @elizabethnash7491 4 ปีที่แล้ว

    Thank you so much for this fascinating content, beautifully spoken :)

  • @lvlinda6
    @lvlinda6 4 ปีที่แล้ว +2

    Bravo 👏🏻. I have learned more history from you, Simon, than I did sitting in history class in school. Thank you ☺️

  • @yizzymelon6721
    @yizzymelon6721 4 ปีที่แล้ว +12

    Pretty good video - I wish you could have talked more about the cultural differences between unassimilated Jews and Greeks/Romans - my Jewish history teacher once summarised the difference as Greeks/Romans believed what is beautiful is holy. Whilst Jews believed what is holy is beautiful.

  • @SigEpBlue
    @SigEpBlue 4 ปีที่แล้ว +4

    17:16 "Can we fix it?"
    _"F*CK YEAH WE CAN! WOO! YEAH! DO IT NOW! YEAH! ALL AT ONCE! IT'LL BE SO GREAT!"_
    "Bob, uh...you okay?

  • @genesismarcum1395
    @genesismarcum1395 4 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    Just discovered you. Great stuff man!

  • @kodyeldridge5847
    @kodyeldridge5847 4 ปีที่แล้ว +2

    Video idea(s): Pontius Pilate and Agrippina the Younger. Great video as usual Mr. Whistler!

  • @thegrandbeef
    @thegrandbeef 4 ปีที่แล้ว +6

    Cool story! Lots of interesting information.

  • @constipatedinsincity4424
    @constipatedinsincity4424 4 ปีที่แล้ว +3

    Herod as you know has a huge store in England!

  • @tenhirankei
    @tenhirankei 4 ปีที่แล้ว +2

    @4:20 Anyone else notice that of the three Judean principals in this story - the queens two sons have Roman names and Herod's father has a Greek name?

  • @videobenwhite3681
    @videobenwhite3681 4 ปีที่แล้ว +2

    Love your channel my dude love learning history just do me a favor and never stop.