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History of Palestine

The Roman general, Pompey the Great, invaded Palestine in 63 BC, initiating seven long centuries of Roman rule. When civil war broke out between Julius Caesar and Pompey, Pompey took refuge in Alexandria - only to be treacherously murdered by Ptolomy XIV, the brother/ husband of Queen Cleopatra. Caesar then followed into Egypt and clashed with Ptolomy. His war against the Egyptians did not fare well until Antipater, an Arab Sheikh from southern Palestine, came to Caesar's assistance with several thousand Arab horsemen. Antipater was chief of the Idumaen tribe and his son was Herod, later to be known as 'Herod the Great'.

Cleopatra also sided with Caesar against her husband, who was finally defeated and drowned. Cleopatra also sided with Caesar against her husband, who was finally defeated and drowned. Cleopatra remarried a younger brother, but soon rid herself of him (by poison) and followed Caesar to Rome.

In gratitude for his assistance, Caesar appointed Antipater as governor of the districts of Judaea, Samaria and Galilee. Antipater in turn installed his sons, Heord and Feisal, as governors of Galilee and Judaea, respectively. This put an end to the rule of the Jewish Hasmonaean kings over Judaea, but it cost Antipater his life. The Jewish high priest of Jerusalem invited Antipater to dinner, during which poison was slipped into his wine.

When on the Ides of March, 44 BC, Caesar was murdered in Rome, one Cassius Longinus, who was responsible for Caesar's assassination, moved on to take over the eastern parts of the empire. Subsequently, the victory of Mark Antony and Octavian over Cassius left Antony in control of the Eastern Empire. Antony summoned Cleopatra to Tyre to answer a totally unfounded charge of aiding Cassius. But, like Caesar before him, he fell captive to her charms.Whilst Antony dallied in Alexandria with his regal lover, the Persians occupied Palestine. Herod narrowly made his escape to Alexandria, where Cleopatra provided him with a ship to continue his journey to Rome. Herod was warmly welcomed in Rome by both Mark Antony and Octavian, and Antony urged the Roman Senate to elect Herod as king of Judea. Herod's mother was a Nabataean, and he had inherited his father's clear-thinking intelligence and Diplomacy. With the aid of several Roman legions he drove the Persians out of Palestine; except for the Kingdom of Nabataea and Phoenicia.

Herod, however, had now to deal with Cleopatra, who had grandiose designs. She wanted to establish and Eastern Empire for her sons from Caasar and Antony to inherit. She persuaded Antony to give her the Palestinian coastal cities, including the balsam groves of Jericho whose produce was world-famous and extremely valuable. But in deference to his friend and ally Herod, Antony refused to give her the rest of Palestine.

During a visit she made to Palestine with Anthony, Cleopatra tried winning Herod over by seduction. Her seductive arts apparently failed, but she did succeed in starting a war between Herod and the powerful king of Nabataea. She even conspired with his wife, Mariamne, and his mother-in-law, to overthrow him. When Octavian defeated Antony at the naval battle of Actium, Cleopatra's threats ended.

Octavian entered Alexandria on the 1 August 30BC and found Antony had already committed suicide; though, from all accounts, not very efficiently. Barely forty, Cleopatra offered her charms to Octavian.

Octavian, however, put her under arrest, planning to parade her before the street mobs of Rome in his victory procession. The proud queen forestalled him by committing suicide with the aid of one or two poisonous snakes, secretly conveyed to her and pressed against her bosom. Octavian (now titled Augustus Caesar) kept Herod in place because of his unfaltering loyalty to Antony. With Cleopatra out of the way, Herod embarked on an ambitious programme to improve Palestine, winning him the title of 'Herod the Great'. He erected magnificent buildings, founded cities, built roads and fortresses, established games in honor of the emperor; and for the Jews he restored the temple at Jerusalem. He also built one of the finest seaports on the Mediterranean, which he named 'Caesarea' in honor of Augustus Caesar. The Romans chose Caesarea as the capital of Palestine and, in appreciation of his loyalty to Rome, Augustus presented Herod with two large regions in southern Syria, stretching his domain up to Damascus.

Herod died in 4 BC, two years after the birth of Jesus. Augustus Caesar divided Palestine between Herod's three sons; Archelaus, Herod Antipas and Philip. Archelaus was given Judaea, Samaria and Idumaea, but was later deposed and his territory put under a Roman procurator (governor) stationed in Caesarea. Herod Antipas was given the districts of Galilee and Peraea, ruling from 4 BC to AD 39.

Philip was given the districts east of Galilee, ruling from 4 BC to 34 AD.