Nadav Sharon, «Herod's Age When Appointed Strategos of Galilee: Scribal Error or Literary Motif?», Vol. 95 (2014) 49-63
In Antiquities Josephus says that Herod was only fifteen-years-old when appointed strategos of Galilee in 47 BCE. This is often dismissed as scribal error and corrected to twenty-five, because it contradicts other Herodian biographical information. However, this unattested emendation does not fit the immediate context, whereas 'fifteen' does. This paper suggests that rather than a scribal error, this is a literary motif, presenting Herod as a particularly young military hero. The specific age of fifteen may have had a deeper intention, fictively linking Herod's birth to the year 63, the year of Augustus' birth and Pompey's conquest of the Temple.
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Herod’s Age When Appointed Strategos of Galilee:
Scribal Error or Literary Motif?
I. The Problem: Conflicting Chronological Data
In the spring of 47 BCE, after concluding his war in Egypt, Julius
Caesar came to Syria 1. There, among other matters, he had to settle
the fate of Judea. Eventually he appointed Antipater to the office of
“epitropos of Judea†(War 1.194-200; Ant. 14.137-143). Antipater,
in turn, appointed his eldest son, Phasael, as strategos of Jerusalem
and its surroundings, and his second son, Herod, the later King of
Judea, as strategos of Galilee.
Both of Josephus’ narratives state that at the time of his appoint-
ment to this post Herod was “a mere lad†(War 1.203: komidh|/ ne,on;
Ant. 14.158: panta,pasin o;nti ne,w|), and Antiquities adds that he
was only fifteen years old (pentekai,deka ga.r auvtw/| evgego,nei
mo,non e;th). This presents a problem not only because of the gen-
eral improbability that anyone that young would be appointed to
such a post, but, more specifically, because according to Josephus
Herod was nearly seventy years old shortly before his death (War
1.647; Ant. 17.148), which, according to most scholars, occurred
in 4 BCE 2. This obviously contradicts the statement that he was
fifteen in 47 BCE.
1
See L.E. LORD, “The Date of Julius Caesar’s Departure from Alexan-
driaâ€, JRS 28 (1938) 19-40.
2
E.g., E. SCHÃœRER, The History of the Jewish People in the Age of Jesus
Christ (175 BCE–135 CE) (eds. G. VERMES et al.) (Edinburgh 1973-1986) I,
281 n. 3, 284-286 n. 11, 326-328 n. 165; M. STERN, “Chronologyâ€, The Jew-
ish People in the First Century (eds. S. SAFRAI et al.) (Assen – Philadelphia,
PA 1974-1976) I, 66-68; T.D. BARNES, “The Date of Herod’s Deathâ€, JTS 19
(1968) 204-209; N. KOKKINOS, The Herodian Dynasty. Origins, Role in So-
ciety and Eclipse (Sheffield 1998) 156 n. 2, 372-373. For the dissenting view
arguing he died in 2/1 BCE see e.g. W.E. FILMER, “The Chronology of the
Reign of Herod the Greatâ€, JTS 17 (1966) 283-298; A.E. STEINMANN, “When
Did Herod the Great Reign?†NovT 51 (2009) 1-29.
BIBLICA 95.1 (2014) 49-63
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