The Cave of Treasures 75
The Death of Herod
Herod's body melted away into a mass of worms while he suffered grievous pains and emitted a putrid smell that kept people away. Themes: Divine Judgment and the Flood
1nd as for Herod, a divine punishment that was pitiless overtook him, and he fell ill of a sickness through which he stank, and his body melted away into a mass of worms, and he suffered most grievous pains, and at length people were unable to come near him because of his putrid smell. And through that bitter suffering his soul departed into outer darkness.
2 Nevertheless, by his death he destroyed many. Now Herod had said unto Archelaus his son, and unto Shálóm his sister, “Immediately I am dead, let those whom I have fettered in prison be slain”—now he had imprisoned one person from every house. And he said, “I know that the Jews will feel great joy at my death. But in order that they may not rejoice and be glad whilst ye are sorrowful and are weeping, let all those whom I have shut up in prison be slain, so that through their death they may cause lamentation unintentionally.”
3 And Archelaus and Shálóm did as Herod commanded them, and when this order had been carried out in all Judea there remained not one house in which there was not lamentation, even as it was in Egypt [in days of old].
Did You Know?
Herod's body melted away into a mass of worms while he suffered grievous pains and emitted a putrid smell that kept people away.
A divine punishment overtook Herod, and through bitter suffering his soul departed into outer darkness.
Before dying, Herod ordered his son Archelaus and sister Shálóm to slay every prisoner he had fettered from each house.
Herod planned mass killings so that Jews would lament at his death rather than rejoice while his family mourned.
When Archelaus and Shálóm carried out Herod's order, not one house in all Judea remained without lamentation, as in ancient Egypt.
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