The Death of Herod the Great in -1?

Why is the date of -1 BC for the death of Herod preferable?

Most historians traditionally place the death of Herod the Great in -4 BC., mainly because of a lunar eclipse mentioned by Flavius Josephus. However, a careful re-examination of the Jewish, Roman and astronomical sources shows that this date rests on fragile assumptions. Conversely, the date of 2 Shebat, which corresponds to January 26, -1 BC, agrees much better with all the available data. Here is why this more recent date is today regarded by some researchers as the most coherent.

1. The research of certain commentators explicitly places the death of Herod in -1

Read the study: Where does the date of 2 Shebat come from?

In reality, the ancient Jewish traditions do not state that Herod died on 2 Shebat, a precise date of the Hebrew calendar.

Converted into the Julian calendar, it corresponds to January 26, -1 BC.

This indication stems from the studies of various exegetes who have established a coherence between the writings of Flavius Josephus and the Gospels. It therefore deserves to be taken seriously, all the more so since it agrees with other historical data.

2. The lunar eclipse of -4 does not match Josephus’s account

The traditional date rests on the eclipse of March 13, -4, but this hypothesis raises several problems:

• the eclipse was partial, very brief and barely visible;
• the interval between this eclipse and Passover is too short (29 days) to contain all the events described by Josephus:
  • Herod’s long agony,
  • his journey to Callirhoe,
  • his return to Jericho,
  • the execution of several opponents,
  • the drawing up of a new will,
  • his death,
  • an extremely long royal funeral,
  • major political unrest,
  • the rise of Archelaus.

It is impossible to fit this sequence into one month.

3. A much more suitable eclipse took place in -1

On January 10, -1, a total lunar eclipse, spectacular and clearly visible in Judea, took place.

It corresponds much better to Josephus’s description.

If Herod dies on 2 Shebat (January 26, -1), then:

• the eclipse of January 10 is the celestial event mentioned by Josephus,
• the funeral and the political unrest can extend over several weeks,
• the proclamation of Archelaus can take place shortly before Passover, as Josephus reports.

Everything fits together perfectly.

4. The date of -1 agrees better with the chronology of the Gospels

A death of Herod in -1 allows for:

• a birth of Jesus in -2,
• a visit of the Magi a few months later,
• a flight into Egypt shortly before the death of Herod,
• a return to Israel in the spring of -1,
• which is exactly what Matthew describes (Matthew 2.19-23).

The date of -4, on the other hand, forces the birth of Jesus to be placed before -5, which contradicts several data in Luke and Matthew, as well as the possible astronomical phenomena.

5. The date of -1 better respects Roman political logic

The reigns of Herod’s sons (Archelaus, Antipas, Philip) are dated from the death of their father.

Now, their lengths of reign, as reported by Josephus and confirmed by inscriptions, agree just as well, or even better, with a death in -1 as with a death in -4.

The date of -4 is therefore not necessary to maintain the coherence of Roman chronology.

Conclusion: the date of -1 is historically more solid

In summary, the date of 2 Shebat = January 26, -1 BC is preferable because it:

• agrees with a total eclipse consistent with Josephus’s account,
• leaves the necessary time for the events described,
• harmonizes the chronology of the Gospels perfectly,
• respects Roman political logic,
• and allows a coherent reconstruction of the birth, the visit of the Magi and the flight into Egypt.

Thus, the date of -1 is not a marginal hypothesis, but a solution that is more coherent, more complete and historically more satisfying than the traditional date of -4.