Herod Archelaus

Herod Archelaus inherited authority over Judea, Samaria, and Idumea after the death of Herod the Great. His troubled rule ended when Rome removed him in AD 6. Matthew says Joseph avoided settling in Judea after learning that Archelaus ruled there.

Archelaus was a son of Herod the Great and Malthace, and a full brother of Herod Antipas. After Herod’s death in 4 BC, Archelaus sought confirmation of his inheritance from Emperor Augustus.

Augustus gave him the title ethnarch rather than king, placing Judea, Samaria, and Idumea under his authority. Archelaus hoped eventually to gain the royal title, but his rule quickly became unpopular.

Josephus describes unrest around the beginning of his reign, including violent suppression of disturbances near Passover. Complaints about his government continued, and delegations appealed to Rome.

In Matthew’s account, Joseph returned from Egypt with Mary and Jesus after Herod the Great’s death. Hearing that Archelaus ruled Judea, Joseph feared going there and settled instead in Galilee.

In AD 6 Augustus removed Archelaus from office and sent him into exile. His territories came under direct Roman administration, an important transition in the history of Judea.

Archelaus’s removal marked the end of Herodian rule over Judea proper for a time and the beginning of direct Roman provincial administration. This change helps explain the later presence of Roman prefects, including Pontius Pilate.

• 4 BC: Inherited Judea, Samaria, and Idumea as ethnarch.
• 4 BC: Suppressed unrest at Jerusalem near Passover.
• 4 BC–AD 6: Governed amid repeated complaints and unrest.
• AD 6: Deposed by Augustus and exiled; Judea placed under direct Roman administration.

Archelaus was exiled to Vienne in Gaul in AD 6. His date of death and burial location are uncertain.

Matthew 2:22 mentions Archelaus by name. Joseph’s fear of his rule helps explain why the family settled in Nazareth rather than returning to Judea.