Herod, son of Antipater, descendent of an aristocratic Idumean family, was crowned in 40 BCE king of Judea. Herod’s appointment was suggested to the Roman senate by Mark Antony, as an opposition to the appointment of Antigonus by the Parthians.
In the third year of his reign, Herod set out to conquer the city of Jerusalem from the Hasmonean king. Fifty-five days of siege and fierce battle ended with its fall, and the Jew’s retreat into the area of the temple and the Upper City. They continued their struggle led by Antigonus against Herod and his troops. After three desperate years of battle (37 BCE) and three months of siege, the city was finally taken by Herod. Herod enforced order and took revenge on his opponents, beginning with the execution of 45 of Antigonus’ supporters. He went about slaying the Hasmonean priests in an attempt to establish his sovereignty. Since he could not serve as High Priest, he could not rule the temple. He, therefore strived to appoint a High Priest loyal to his interests, nominating an outsider - Hananeel the Babylonian - thus turning his back on the hereditary character of the High Priest’s office. Despite his ill-doings, Herod was well-aware of the sympathy that the Jews felt toward the Hasmonean family, and therefore married the Hasmonean princess Mariamne, assuming this would legitimize him among the Jews.
Rivals and potential rivals discarded, Herod took another step forward in his attempt to win over the Jews: namely, his offer to rebuild the temple and to enlarge the Temple Mount. Herod declared his intentions to the Jewish people, thus demonstrating his high regard to this undertaking.
Toward the end of his reign, Herod installed a huge gold eagle above the large gate of the temple. This awakened the otherwise latent anger of the Jewish authorities. Despite Herod’s many attempts to please the Jewish people, the rebuilding of the temple being the most prominent, this tragic king never won the heart of his own people.