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Archelaus
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Archelaus

A son of Herod the Great who ruled Judea so harshly that Joseph avoided settling there on returning from Egypt.

Role: Ethnarch of Judea
Lived: 1st century
Belonged to: Romans

What we know β€” and how we know it

Bible β€” stated in scripture (with verse) Β· 1 Archaeology β€” physical evidence Β· 1 Ancient writers β€” non-biblical testimony Β· 1
Family & lineage
BibleSon of Herod the Great and Herod.
Matthew 2:22
↳ Herod the Great Β· Herod (Mat 2:1)
Life, role & deeds
Josephus, Antiquities 17.13.2 (Β§342–344) and War 2.7.3 (Β§111) β€” complaints to Rome and Augustus's deposition and banishment of Archelaus to Vienna in Gaul (AD 6); corroborated by Cassius Dio, Roman History 55.27.6; cf. Matthew 2:22 Scan by NYPL β€” Public domain (via Wikimedia Commons) Ancient writersMatthew says Joseph avoided Judea because Archelaus reigned there. Josephus tells the rest: his harsh rule brought complaints to Rome, and in AD 6 Augustus deposed and banished him to Gaul β€” after which Judea was governed directly by Roman prefects such as Pontius Pilate.
Josephus, Antiquities 17.13.2 (Β§342–344) and War 2.7.3 (Β§111) β€” complaints to Rome and Augustus's deposition and banishment of Archelaus to Vienna in Gaul (AD 6); corroborated by Cassius Dio, Roman History 55.27.6; cf. Matthew 2:22
↳ Pontius Pilate
Bronze prutot of Herod Archelaus inscribed ΗΑΩΔ / Ξ•Ξ˜Ξ ('Herod, Ethnarch'), 4 BC – AD 6; cf. Y. Meshorer, A Treasury of Jewish Coins from the Persian Period to Bar Kokhba (Jerusalem/Nyack: Amphora, 2001), and D. Hendin, Guide to Biblical Coins (5th ed., 2010). CNG β€” CC BY-SA 3.0 (via Wikimedia Commons) ArchaeologyArchelaus struck coins titled simply 'Herod the Ethnarch' β€” the only member of the dynasty to bear that rank β€” small bronzes that survive in numbers today.
Bronze prutot of Herod Archelaus inscribed ΗΑΩΔ / Ξ•Ξ˜Ξ ('Herod, Ethnarch'), 4 BC – AD 6; cf. Y. Meshorer, A Treasury of Jewish Coins from the Persian Period to Bar Kokhba (Jerusalem/Nyack: Amphora, 2001), and D. Hendin, Guide to Biblical Coins (5th ed., 2010).

Where in scripture

Matthew

But when he heard that Archelaus was reigning over Judea in the place of his father, Herod, he was afraid to go there. Being warned in a dream, he withdrew into the region of Galilee,

Matthew 2:22 β€” Feared by Joseph

Scripture quotations are from the World English Bible, a public-domain translation.

Matthew 2:22

Family

Herod theGreatHerodPhilip theTetrarchHerod AntipasArchelaus