Herod the Great

August 4
In 74 BC, Herod the Great was born the son of Antipater the Idumaean, a high-ranking official in the Nabataeans. His family's influence was great, and at the age of 25, Herod found himself appointed governor of Galilee. It was a volatile time for the region, but eventually the Roman Senate elected Herod the King of the Jews. Herod took the title of Basileus when Rome defeated Antigonus in Judea in 37 BC, and the Herodian Dynasty began. Herod himself ruled for 34 years. On his death, his kingdom was divided among three surviving sons: Herod Archelaus, Herod Phillip II, and Herod Antipas, who figured significantly in the final hours of Jesus’ life.
Herod the Great, who sought the death of the child sought by the Magi, is known for his cruelty and paranoia. But he was also a builder, and his most ambitious project was the rebuilding of the second temple in Jerusalem. "Herod's Temple" was mostly destroyed in 70 AD. Today the Wailing Wall of Jerusalem is the last remaining wall of the structure.