Herod the Great in Josephus

This chapter concentrates on the most important issues concerning Josephus's presentation of Herod in both of his works, Jewish War and Jewish Antiquities, focusing first on his deeds and then on his character. Josephus distinguishes between Herod's deeds and character. The main parts of the Herod narratives in Jewish War and Jewish Antiquities offer a report of the king's deeds more or less in a chronological order. The main point in both the works is that the verdict concerning Herod's deeds is mixed: Herod was successful in his external affairs, i.e., his military operations, his relationship with Rome, and his building activities within and outside the Judean heartland. But the king failed in his internal affairs, i.e., his harsh policy towards his subjects, his response to Jewish opposition, and his failure to remain in control over his family. This leading theme is articulated in both writings in different ways.