Between Rome and Jerusalem: Herod the Great and His Sons in Their Struggle for Recognition

A Chronological Investigation of the Period 40 BC - 39 AD, with a Time Setting of New Testament Events

By (author) B. Mahieu

Book cover: Between Rome and Jerusalem: Herod the Great and His Sons in Their Struggle for Recognition

Extent: 706 pages

Publisher: Peeters Publishers

Subjects: Ancient Near East, Biblical Studies

Series: Orientalia Lovaniensia Analecta

Series volume number: 208

Language: French

Hardback (Published)

(March 2012)

ISBN: 9789042924970

Price: $120.00

In stock

The present study proposes a challenging new chronological framework for the Herodian age, a critical period in Jewish history. Not only do the rules of Herod the Great and his sons receive altered time settings, but the birth and death of Jesus are also placed several years later than is generally accepted. As a consequence of this the dates of Paul’s apostolate are reexamined.


The present study proposes a challenging new chronological framework for the Herodian age, a critical period in Jewish history. Not only do the rules of Herod the Great and his sons receive altered time settings, but the birth and death of Jesus are also placed several years later than is generally accepted. As a consequence of this the dates of Paul’s apostolate are reexamined. Ostensibly narrow in scope, these modifications entail far-reaching implications for our understanding of the Syro-Palestinian region at the beginning of the present era. Interconnections between numerous events are established and tensions within and between the Herodian and Hasmonean dynasties are laid bare. It is shown that Roman impact on the East was substantial, with a strong Hellenistic influence exerted on local cultures. Several customs of the Jewish and early Christian communities, hitherto unknown, are also brought to light. Both in its details and in its overall sweep this important work sets up a stimulating reference point for future historical investigations of the Herodian and New Testament worlds.

  • By (author) B. Mahieu

"...Maieu must be commended for this project. Herod the Great remains an intriguing figure, and this work provides scholars with an encyclopedic amount of information not only for his life but also for an important time in the late Second Temple and early Roman Imperial periods. Her proposed chronology is plausible. Mahieu rightly states that chronology is the bedrock of historical inquiry, and scholars doing research on the Herodian period will do well to consult this work because of its encyclopedic scope." --Frank E. Dicken, Lincoln Christian University, Review of Biblical Literature, 6.1.2015