Lives of Scripture

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The Herods, John the Baptist & Jesus

Six rulers of the Herod family appear in the New Testament, spanning nearly a century and a half — and it is easy to lose track of which one is which. This chart lays their reigns against the lifetimes of John the Baptist, Jesus, and the apostle Paul — whose years in custody and defense before Agrippa II place him among the last of the Herods — with each Herod's Scripture references shown beside the name. Numbered markers place eleven Gospel and Acts events on the timeline, each with a short caption; a faint line drops from each one to the Herod it involved, and the same numbers are listed in full below the chart. Bars and markers are clickable; hover or focus a bar for exact dates.

Herod ruler (reign) John the Baptist (life) Jesus (life) Paul the apostle (life) Numbered Gospel & Acts event (drops to the Herod involved)
40 BC 20 BC AD 1 AD 20 AD 40 AD 60 AD 80 AD 100 1. Days of Herod — c. 6 BC — An angel tells Zacharias that his son John will be born — dated “in the days of Herod, king of Judea.” (Herod the Great; Luke 1:5-13) 1 Days of Herod 2. Jesus born — c. 5 BC — Jesus is born in Bethlehem “in the days of Herod the king.” (Herod the Great; Matthew 2:1) 2 Jesus born 3. Wise men — c. 5 BC — Wise men from the east ask Herod where the newborn king of the Jews is, then find and worship the child. (Herod the Great; Matthew 2:1-12) 3 Wise men 4. Flight to Egypt — c. 4 BC — Herod orders every boy in Bethlehem under two years old killed; an angel warns Joseph, who takes the family to Egypt. (Herod the Great; Matthew 2:13-18) 4 Flight to Egypt 5. Home to Nazareth — c. 3 BC — After Herod's death Joseph brings the family back, but settles in Nazareth on hearing Archelaus now rules Judea. (Herod Archelaus; Matthew 2:19-23) 5 Home to Nazareth 6. John's ministry — c. AD 28 — John the Baptist begins preaching in the wilderness, dated by the rule of Antipas in Galilee and Philip in Iturea. (Herod Antipas; Luke 3:1-3) 6 John's ministry 7. John arrested — c. AD 29 — Antipas arrests John for condemning his marriage to Herodias, his brother's wife. (Herod Antipas; Luke 3:19-20) 7 John arrested 8. John beheaded — c. AD 29 — At Herodias's prompting, Antipas has John beheaded after her daughter dances at his birthday feast. (Herod Antipas; Mark 6:21-29) 8 John beheaded 9. At Jesus' trial — c. AD 30 — Pilate sends Jesus to Antipas, who questions him, gets no answer, treats him with contempt, and sends him back. (Herod Antipas; Luke 23:6-12) 9 At Jesus' trial 10. James killed — c. AD 44 — Agrippa I kills the apostle James, imprisons Peter, and is struck down at Caesarea after accepting the crowd's worship. (Herod Agrippa I; Acts 12:1-23) 10 James killed 11. Paul's defense — c. AD 59 — Paul makes his defense before Agrippa II and Bernice at Caesarea; the king says Paul could have been set free. (Herod Agrippa II; Acts 25:23-26:32) 11 Paul's defense The Herod dynasty Herod the Great Matthew 2; Luke 1:5 Herod the Great — King of Judea, c. 37–4 BC (Matthew 2:1-19; Luke 1:5) 37–4 BC Herod Archelaus Matthew 2:22 Herod Archelaus — Ethnarch of Judea, c. 4 BC–AD 6 (Matthew 2:22) 4 BC–AD 6 Herod Antipas Matthew 14; Mark 6; Luke 23 Herod Antipas — Tetrarch of Galilee and Perea, c. 4 BC–AD 39 (Matthew 14:1-11; Mark 6:14-29; Luke 3:1, 13:31-32, 23:7-12) 4 BC–AD 39 Philip the Tetrarch Luke 3:1 Philip the Tetrarch — Tetrarch of Iturea and Trachonitis, c. 4 BC–AD 34 (Luke 3:1) 4 BC–AD 34 Herod Agrippa I Acts 12 Herod Agrippa I — King of Judea, c. AD 37–44 (Acts 12:1-23) AD 37–44 Herod Agrippa II Acts 25-26 Herod Agrippa II — King; last of the Herods, c. AD 50–93 (Acts 25:13-26:32) AD 50–93 The forerunner, the Messiah, and the apostle John the Baptist Luke 1; 3; Matthew 3 John the Baptist — Forerunner of the Messiah, c. 5 BC–AD 29 (Luke 1:5-80; 3:1-20; Matthew 3:1-17; 14:1-12) 5 BC–AD 29 Jesus Matthew 1-2; Luke 2-3 Jesus — The Messiah, c. 5 BC–AD 30 (Matthew 1:18-2:23; Luke 2:1-52; 3:21-23) 5 BC–AD 30 Paul Acts 9; 21-28 Paul — Apostle to the Gentiles, c. AD 5–67 (Acts 9:1-30; 21:27-26:32; 28:16-31; Galatians 1:15-2:1) AD 5–67

New Testament dates rest on Roman-era cross-references and are far firmer than Old Testament chronology, but two points are genuinely disputed and marked “c.” throughout: the death of Herod the Great (most place it in 4 BC; some argue 1 BC) and the date of the crucifixion (c. AD 30, though a significant number of evangelical scholars hold AD 33). The chart follows the more common 4 BC / AD 30 framework; shifting to the alternative moves John's and Jesus's bars a few years later but changes none of the relationships the chart shows. Paul's bar runs from an inferred birth around AD 5 to a death the New Testament never records — church tradition places it under Nero, c. AD 64–67.

Gospel & Acts events involving a Herod

  1. c. 6 BC An angel tells Zacharias that his son John will be born — dated “in the days of Herod, king of Judea.”Herod the Great · Luke 1:5-13
  2. c. 5 BC Jesus is born in Bethlehem “in the days of Herod the king.”Herod the Great · Matthew 2:1
  3. c. 5 BC Wise men from the east ask Herod where the newborn king of the Jews is, then find and worship the child.Herod the Great · Matthew 2:1-12
  4. c. 4 BC Herod orders every boy in Bethlehem under two years old killed; an angel warns Joseph, who takes the family to Egypt.Herod the Great · Matthew 2:13-18
  5. c. 3 BC After Herod's death Joseph brings the family back, but settles in Nazareth on hearing Archelaus now rules Judea.Herod Archelaus · Matthew 2:19-23
  6. c. AD 28 John the Baptist begins preaching in the wilderness, dated by the rule of Antipas in Galilee and Philip in Iturea.Herod Antipas · Luke 3:1-3
  7. c. AD 29 Antipas arrests John for condemning his marriage to Herodias, his brother's wife.Herod Antipas · Luke 3:19-20
  8. c. AD 29 At Herodias's prompting, Antipas has John beheaded after her daughter dances at his birthday feast.Herod Antipas · Mark 6:21-29
  9. c. AD 30 Pilate sends Jesus to Antipas, who questions him, gets no answer, treats him with contempt, and sends him back.Herod Antipas · Luke 23:6-12
  10. AD 44 Agrippa I kills the apostle James, imprisons Peter, and is struck down at Caesarea after accepting the crowd's worship.Herod Agrippa I · Acts 12:1-23
  11. c. AD 59 Paul makes his defense before Agrippa II and Bernice at Caesarea; the king says Paul could have been set free.Herod Agrippa II · Acts 25:23-26:32
View the reigns as a table
NameRoleDatesReferenceNote
Herod the GreatKing of Judeac. 37–4 BCMatthew 2:1-19; Luke 1:5Ruled at Jesus's birth; ordered the killing of the boys of Bethlehem.
Herod ArchelausEthnarch of Judeac. 4 BC–AD 6Matthew 2:22His harsh rule kept Joseph from returning to Judea; deposed and exiled by Rome.
Herod AntipasTetrarch of Galilee and Pereac. 4 BC–AD 39Matthew 14:1-11; Mark 6:14-29; Luke 3:1, 13:31-32, 23:7-12Imprisoned and beheaded John the Baptist (Mark 6:14-29); questioned Jesus at his trial (Luke 23:7-12).
Philip the TetrarchTetrarch of Iturea and Trachonitisc. 4 BC–AD 34Luke 3:1Son of Herod the Great; his tetrarchy is one of the regions named in Luke's dating of John's ministry.
Herod Agrippa IKing of Judeac. AD 37–44Acts 12:1-23Executed the apostle James and imprisoned Peter; struck down and died after accepting the crowd's worship.
Herod Agrippa IIKing; last of the Herodsc. AD 50–93Acts 25:13-26:32Heard Paul's defense at Caesarea (c. AD 59) and judged he could have been freed had he not appealed to Caesar.
John the BaptistForerunner of the Messiahc. 5 BC–AD 29Luke 1:5-80; 3:1-20; Matthew 3:1-17; 14:1-12Born in the reign of Herod the Great; began preaching c. AD 28 (Luke 3:1-3); beheaded by Antipas c. AD 29, about a year before the crucifixion.
JesusThe Messiahc. 5 BC–AD 30Matthew 1:18-2:23; Luke 2:1-52; 3:21-23Born before Herod the Great's death (Matthew 2:1); public ministry c. AD 27-30; crucified and risen c. AD 30 under Pontius Pilate.
PaulApostle to the Gentilesc. AD 5–67Acts 9:1-30; 21:27-26:32; 28:16-31; Galatians 1:15-2:1Born at Tarsus c. AD 5; met the risen Christ near Damascus c. AD 34; held two years at Caesarea and examined by Agrippa II c. AD 59 (Acts 25-26); taken to Rome, where church tradition places his death under Nero c. AD 64-67.