2/15/11

Herodian Jerusalem:

In 63 BCE, Pompey entered the "Holy of Holies" in what was called as the "Abomination of Desolation," and Herod the Great soon came to power.  He was Judaized by the Hasmoneans, so he was essentially half-Jewish.  He ruled from 37 to 4 BCE, and he was overly paranoid and impulsive, which was effective for Rome, but disliked by the Jews.  He is well-known for his large building projects that include an expanded Temple Mount, theaters, and aqueducts.  Some argue whether or not he was a "bad" king, since he mostly respected Jewish religious tradition.

Although there is no archeological evidence for the existence of Jesus, he most likely existed and had a large influence on people.  But like the case of David and Solomon, this absence of evidence cannot be considered evidence of absence.