Antipater the Idumaean

Antipater was the father of Herod the Great. Through alliances with Jewish rulers and Roman commanders, he helped move Judea toward the political order in which Herod would become king.

Antipater came from an influential Idumaean family and became a trusted supporter of the Hasmonean leader Hyrcanus II. When Hyrcanus struggled with his brother Aristobulus II for control of Judea, Antipater helped him seek support from the Nabataean king Aretas III. Rome soon intervened in the dispute, and Antipater learned to work with its powerful commanders.

During the civil wars of the Roman Republic, Antipater assisted Julius Caesar and was rewarded with a leading administrative position in Judea. He appointed his sons Phasael and Herod to important posts. His political skill helped establish the family connections that later allowed Herod to become king. Antipater was poisoned in 43 BC, before his son reached the throne.

Antipater helped shift power away from the old Hasmonean royal family toward a new dynasty dependent on Roman support. His career explains how Herod the Great came to rule Judea.

• Supported Hyrcanus II in the Hasmonean civil struggle.
• Developed alliances with Roman commanders.
• Assisted Julius Caesar during the Alexandrian campaign.
• Advanced his sons Phasael and Herod to positions of authority.
• Died by poisoning in 43 BC.

Josephus, Jewish Antiquities, Book 14; The Jewish War, Book 1.

Josephus reports that Antipater was poisoned in 43 BC. His burial place is not securely known.

Antipater is not named in the New Testament, but he was the father of Herod the Great, the ruler associated with the birth narrative in Matthew. His political achievements laid the groundwork for the Herodian dynasty.