The Gruesome Death of Herod

 The Saturday after the Epiphany

If I may back up for a minute to the Rhoda story, Ben Witherington's massive Socio-Rhetorical Commentary on Acts drew my attention to an irony in these last two stories. Peter's angel leads him out of the locked gates of the prison. The angel then departs. When Peter knocks on the locked gates at Mary's house, and Rhoda in her excitement forgets to let him in, Peter can't get in until she comes back. Angels can open gates for us; humans can open gates for us too, although in many cases not nearly as quickly. You might draw some other lessons from this irony.

Now please read Acts 12:20-23. 

One of, if not the, major question in the study of Acts is how historically accurate is it. British scholars have tended to see it as basically accurate. German scholars see it as largely fictional. American scholars come in both flavors. Most of Acts is material not found elsewhere. Should we assume accuracy or inaccuracy? My view is that the benefit of the doubt should go to accuracy. I'll assume Luke to be historically accurate unless other evidence indicates otherwise. Sometimes it does.

Our other significant source for the history of this time period in Palestine is the Jewish historian Josephus (ca.30-100 A.D.). Josephus's writings are much more extensive than Luke's. He has only the vaguest knowledge of Jesus, more knowledge of John the Baptist, virtually no knowledge of the Apostles. Josephus and Luke do not know each others writings. Josephus himself is not 100% accurate. As I've studied this material over many years, the more and more I am struck by their corroboration.

Josephus writes an enormous amount about the Herodian family, from Herod the Great's ancestors going back to the second century B.C., all the way down to the death of Herod Agrippa II, who puts Paul on trial in Acts 26. 

Luke's account of the death of Herod Agrippa I in our scripture for today corresponds almost identically  to Josephus's account of the actual cause of death--being eaten by worms. There are several medical possibilities here. Tapeworm is a good possibility. Although Luke may imply the notion that this was a quick death, initiated by an angel's response to the proclaimed divine identity of Herod, it would have been a slow death, as is clear in Josephus. 

I know that at least a few of you have either read Robert Graves's novel I, Claudius, or seen the superb PBS Masterpiece Theater series. It deals with the Julio-Claudian dynasty of Roman Emperors, from Augustus (27 B.C.-14 A.D.) through Claudius (41-54 A.D.). Herod Agrippa I does appear in the series. He spent part of his youth in Rome and was a friend of Claudeius. I think just as fascinating a novel and TV series could be done on the Herodians.

 

This is the last of the material on Peter. He will reappear in Acts 15, but otherwise chapters 13-28 are entirely about Paul, and fascinating chapters they are.

 

Faithfully,

Christian