Herod the Great

Martin Goodman is emeritus professor of Jewish studies at the University of Oxford and a fellow of the Oxford Centre for Hebrew and Jewish Studies. His numerous books include A History of Judaism; Rome and Jerusalem: The Clash of Ancient Civilizations; and Josephus’s The Jewish War: A Biography. He lives in Oxford, UK.

“Herod the Great by Martin Goodman is typical of Yale’s Jewish Lives series: short, clear, deeply knowledgeable, deeply illuminating.”—Dominic Green, Wall Street Journal“Entertaining, outrageous and lurid as well as scholarly, authoritative and relevant.”—Simon Sebag Montefiore, Times (UK)“Goodman is a world expert on Josephus and on Judaism under Rome, and Herod the Great—equally scholarly and accessible—feels the elegant product of a deep intimacy with, and knowledge of, both source (Josephus) and subject (Herod).”—Ben Kolbeck, Times Literary Supplement“A balanced portrait.”—Rich Tenorio, Times of Israel“This excellent book is part of Yale’s much praised Jewish Lives series. Martin Goodman has reclaimed the ‘kill or be killed’ world of ancient rulers and the unstable societies over which they presided. He comprehensively fills in the historical gaps in the popular understanding of these episodes in Jewish history which are not viewed through rose-tinted glasses but depicted in all its harshness.”—Colin Shindler, Jewish Chronicle“Herod strides out of every page of Goodman’s book as a three-dimensional man of remarkable energy and vision, flawed yet heroic.”—Helen Bond, Literary Review“Significant. . . . The insights in this book make it important reading for understanding Herod and his rule.”—Jay Levinson, Jewish Tribune  “Masterful chronicle of Herod’s tempestuous life.”—Segula“Martin Goodman’s clear-eyed portrait of Herod the Great sharply captures both the accomplishments and the tortured personality of this larger than life figure. Goodman brings out with clarity the complexities and contradictions of a man who could be both lavishly generous and brutally ruthless. The book successfully combines acuity with readability.”—Erich S. Gruen, University of California, Berkeley“Herod—the king everybody loves to hate—strides out of Goodman’s pages in all his flawed glory. His story is also the story of Rome at the beginning of its empire, the story of Jerusalem at the end of its independence. Goodman shines a bright light on this tumultuous period, and on the unforgettably complicated character of one of its major figures. Herod the Great is riveting reading.”—Paula Fredriksen, author of When Christians Were Jews: The First Generation