Years Covered: 33-44

We continue to followHerod Agrippa—the politically nimble, debt-ridden, charm-wielding, luck-chasing Jewish prince of the early Roman Empire. A family quarrel propels Agrippa into a world of high-stakes intrigue stretching from Tyre to Alexandria, and from the courts of Roman governors to the inner circle of the Julio-Claudians themselves.

Meanwhile, the messiah claimant Jesus of Nazareth is dead, but that's not the end of the story. We also meet Philo of Alexandria, the Jew who tries to bridge the gap between Jewish and Greek thought.

Cast of Charaters

The Jews:

Herodians

-Herod Agrippa I x

-Herod Antipas x

-Herodias x

-Aristobulus

-Cypros

-Berenice

-Herod Agrippa II

-Drusilla

Pharisees and Sadducees

-Caiaphas

-Gamliel the Elder

-Simon bar Hillel

Jewish Christians

-Stephen x

-Simon Peter

-Saul/Paul of Tarsus

-Ananais

Jewish Diaspora

-Alexander Lysimacus

-Philo of Alexandria

-Anilai and Asinai x

The Romans

-Emperor Tiberius x

-Emperor Caligula x

-Emperor Claudius

-Tiberius Gemellus x

-Julia Drusilla x

-Aulus Avilius Flaccus

-Lucius Pomponius Flaccus x

-Lucius Vitellius

-Publius Petronius

-Gaius Vibius Marsus

-Marcellus

-Pontius Pilate

-Thallus

The Greek

-Apion

Sources:

Antiquities of the Jews - Josephus

The War of the Jews - Josephus

On the Embassy to Gaius - Philo of Alexandria

Against Flaccus - Philo of Alexandria

The Book of Acts

The Twelve Caesars - Seutonius

The Annals - Tacitus

The Talmud

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Years Covered: 1bc - 33

Oscar Wilde once said that 'anyone who never lived beyond their means suffered from a lack of imagination'. Herod Agrippa has imagination in spades. Lucky for him, his grandfather's purges are over, but now his friends in Rome are going to start dying. Back in Judea, it's one messiah claimant after another as Judah the Galilean and Jesus of Nazareth enter, and exit, our stage.

Cast of Characters

The Jews:

Herod Agrippa

Herod Archelaus x

Herod Antipas

Hillel x

Shammai x

Caisphas the High Priest

Judas the Galilean x

Jesus of Nazareth x

John the Baptist x

Cypros, wife of Herod Agrippa

Berenice, wife of Herod Antipas

Herodias, Herod Agrippa's sister

Barabbas

Judas Iscariot

Mary, mother of Jesus of Nazareth

The Romans:

Augustus x

Livia x

Julia, daughter of Augustus

Tiberius

Sejanus x

Publius Quirinius x

Gaius Caesar x

Lucius Caesar x

Agrippa Postumus x

Agrippina The Elder x

Germanicus x

Claudius

Livilla x

Nero Julius Caesar x

Drusus Caesar X

Gaius Caesar (Caligula)

Apicata

Antonia Minor

Aelia Paetina

Marcus Anoninus Pallas

Pontius Pilate

Others:

Glaphyra, widow of Alexander, wife of Herod Archelaus x

Sources:

Antiquities of the Jews - Josephus

War of the Jews - Josephus

Annals - Tacitus

Gospel of Mark

Gospel of Luke

Gospel of Matthew

Tractate Sanhedrin 41a - The Talmud

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Years Covered: 34bc - 1bc

You can't rebuild a temple without breaking a few heads, and in Herod's case, it will be his own family. Our final episode covers Herod the Great's final years.

Cast of Characters

The Jews:

Herod the Great x

Miriam (Mariamne I) x

Alexandra x

Hyrcanus II x

Salome

Pheroras x

Joseph the Treasurer

Sohemus x

Costobarus x

The Babas Boys x

Antipater x

Doris

Alexander x

Aristobulus x

Herod Archelaus

Herod Antipas

Philip I

Judas x

Matthias x

Hillel

Shammai

Bava ben Buta

Shemaya

Bernice

The Romans

Octavian (Augustus)

Mark Antony x

Marcus Agrippa x

Publius Quintilius Varus

The Ptolemaic Greeks:

Cleopatra VII x

Caesarion x

Alexander Helios x

Others

Malichus

Sources:

Antiquities of the Jews - Josephus

War of the Jews - Josephus

Parallel Lives - Plutarch

The Civil Wars - Appian

Tractate Shabbat 31a - The Talmud

Tractate Baba Batra 3b - The Talmud

Gittan 9 - Mishna

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