But, with this explanation, we shall continue to use the common date, while we keep in memory that our era is at least four years in error, so that the actual birth of Christ took place four or five years before A. D. 1. THE HERODS. =18. The name Herod= will be found applied to no less than five different rulers in New Testament times. Their dates of office enable us frequently to determine the dates of events referred to in the Scriptures. The following facts are all that are necessary to distinguish the Herods. Herod the Great had five wives, but the descendants of only four are referred to in the New Testament, as follows: Herod the Great, Matt. 2:1. He was made king by Julius Cæsar, B. C. 37, and died B. C. 4, that is, before the common era, but really in the first year of Christ. He had two sons by Malthace, a Samaritan, namely, Herod Antipas and Archelaus. The latter succeeded him after some delay, but, although called king by the people, was only tetrarch, with the promise conditionally made that he should be king. He was deposed through complaint of his atrocious cruelty, and banished to Vienna, now called Lyons, where he died.[161] The names of the other members of this family of Herods may be seen in the following table. HEROD married: MARIAMNE, granddaughter of Hyrcanus. │ └─ ARISTOBULUS――Married his niece, Berenice, daughter of Salome, │ Herod’s sister. Slain by his father, B. C. 6. │ ├─ HEROD――king of Chalcis; died A. D. 48. │ ├─ HEROD AGRIPPA I.――Succeeded to tetrarchy of Herod │ │ Philip II. A. D. 37; and to Herod │ │ Antipas A. D. 40; Judæa and Samaria │ │ added A. D. 41; married Cypros, │ │ granddaughter of Phasael, brother │ │ of Herod the Great; died A. D. 44. │ │ │ ├─ AGRIPPA II.――king of Chalcis A. D. 48‒53; │ │ succeeded to tetrarchy of │ │ Philip II., A. D. 53‒100; died │ │ A. D. 100――the last prince of the │ │ line. │ │ │ ├─ BERNICE or BERENICE――Married Herod king of │ │ Chalcis, her uncle. After his │ │ death she returned to her brother │ │ for a time. A woman of great lack │ │ of virtue. │ │ │ └─ DRUSILLA――Married to Felix, after separation │ │ from Azizus king of Emesa. │ │ │ └─ AGRIPPA――being her son by Felix. Died │ A. D.