Caesar authored the work Commentaries on his military campaigns.

Caesar was a political rival of the famous orator Cicero, and we know Caesar somewhat (filtered, of course) from Cicero’s oratory.

40 BCE: ROME

Emperor Mark Antony appoints Herod as King of Judea, but Herod assumes control only in 37 BCE, after prevailing in war against the invading Parthians.

Mark Antony executes the leader of the Parthians, Antigonos.

Herod rises from a wealthy and influential Idumaean family. (The Idumaeans were successors to the Edomites, descendants of Esau a.k.a. Esav) in southeastern Judea/West Jordan.)

As noted above, when the Maccabeean (Hasmonean) John Hyrcanus (Hyrcanus I) conquered Idumaea in 130–140 BCE, he required all Idumaeans to obey Jewish law or leave. Most Idumaeans apparently converted to Jewish practices at that point, but not necessarily including (halachically required) circumcision by the males.

Therefore, while King Herod identified himself as Jewish and was considered as such by much of contemporary Jewish society, nonetheless according to Jewish law he technically was not Jewish. Jewish history prefers to refer to him simply as Herod the Great.

In 40 BCE the Roman senate “elects” Herod as king of the Jews. Herod is, for sure, a kindred spirit to the Roman senate: He is power–crazed and homicidal, willing to