DID YOU KNOW?
The answer
Herod the Great, the Rome-backed king of Judea, who died in 4 BCE. Matthew's story of Herod and the infants depends on Jesus being born before that.
Why it’s interesting
This is the same Herod who massively expanded the Jerusalem Temple. A different Herod — his son, Antipas — is the one involved in Jesus' death decades later.
Scholarly consensus
You can know the Bible.
Not just the stories, but the history, authorship, and scholarship behind it.