Herodias

Herodias—granddaughter of Herod the Great, mother of Salome, and later wife of Herod Antipas—used dynastic marriage to pursue rank in the early 1st century AD, provoked John the Baptist’s condemnation and death, and ultimately followed Antipas into exile in AD 39.

People, Places, and Things

Herodias

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People, Places, and Things

Caesar Augustus

In Luke’s Gospel, Caesar Augustus, Rome’s first emperor and bringer of the Pax Romana, is mentioned in connection with the census that brings Mary and Joseph to Bethlehem, highlighting how the emperor’s decree unknowingly fulfills God’s plan and contrasting Augustus’s claim to peace with the true peace brought by Jesus.

The Temple in Jersualem

The Jerusalem Temple in the first century was the spiritual, cultural, and architectural heart of Jewish life, rebuilt by Herod into a magnificent complex that symbolized God’s presence, united a dispersed people, and ultimately became a focal point of both worship and conflict until its destruction in AD 70.

The Sacrifice of Incense

The sacrifice of incense was a daily temple ritual where priests burned a holy blend of spices on the altar of incense, symbolizing the prayers of the people rising to God.

Synagogues

A synagogue was a local Jewish community center for worship, Scripture reading, and teaching, playing a vital role in religious and social life during Jesus’ time.

Tax Collectors

In the first century, tax collectors were despised as corrupt collaborators with Rome, yet in the Gospel story they become powerful symbols of repentance and God’s grace reaching even the most outcast.

Gabriel

Gabriel in Luke 1 is the angelic messenger who stands in God’s presence, sent by God to announce and fulfill the divine plan of salvation through the births of John the Baptist and Jesus Christ.