Roman imperial cult began in Palestine under Herod?

[ghost]

Is it true?

http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jso ... 05937.html

[Mental flatliner]

Is it true?

http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jso ... 05937.html

No. The Roman Senate had a long-standing legislative authority to declare the titles of the emperor, not Herod.

The apparent adoration of Herod for Augustus only began after Herod's apparent adoration of Mark Anthony. You'll remember, Anthony had the eastern half the empire while Augustus was just discovering his oats. They had to fight for supremacy.

Herod the Great answered directly to Anthony, and when he lost, Herod had to summon the courage to go to Augustus in Asia Minor and say, "Hey, I hope there's no hard feelings, I was an Anthony supporter. He's out so I'm an Augustus supporter now." Herod may have had to take additional steps to insure he was seen as loyal to the new regime.

[DCHindley]

Josephus' description of Herod coming before Augustus is one of a man of extreme confidence. While Herod had backed Antony, Antony was a lavish spender and his exactions were bleeding dry any region in which he stayed. Octavian/Augustus had reversed the policy of exactions and returned to fixed tributes, which had to be considered a benefit to the locals.

Since deification was commonly "bestowed" on "benefactors to mankind" you can see how non-Jews in Herod's realm might want to express their approval of Augustus by promoting the cult of the emperor. Herod may have been an observant Judean (in a Hellenized manner at least), and sensitive to his more orthodox Judean subjects' religious sensibilities, he was never shy about promoting pagan shrines both inside and outside of his domain.

DCH

Is it true?

http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jso ... 05937.html

No. The Roman Senate had a long-standing legislative authority to declare the titles of the emperor, not Herod.

The apparent adoration of Herod for Augustus only began after Herod's apparent adoration of Mark Anthony. You'll remember, Anthony had the eastern half the empire while Augustus was just discovering his oats. They had to fight for supremacy.

Herod the Great answered directly to Anthony, and when he lost, Herod had to summon the courage to go to Augustus in Asia Minor and say, "Hey, I hope there's no hard feelings, I was an Anthony supporter. He's out so I'm an Augustus supporter now." Herod may have had to take additional steps to insure he was seen as loyal to the new regime.

[Mental flatliner]

Josephus' description of Herod coming before Augustus is one of a man of extreme confidence. While Herod had backed Antony, Antony was a lavish spender and his exactions were bleeding dry any region in which he stayed. Octavian/Augustus had reversed the policy of exactions and returned to fixed tributes, which had to be considered a benefit to the locals.

If he was so confident, why did he compose his will just before leaving and tell people he didn't expect to return?

[steve43]

LOL.

Hardly confident.

He approached Augustus humbly and without wearing a crown. He made the case that Antony was not himself when he broke up the triumvirate, but was under the spell of Cleopatra. Herod said that if he had slain Cleopatra, as was his first impulse, Antony would have remained a loyal Roman and there would have been no war.

Augustus (read:Agrippa) ought it.

Besides, who else would run the Jewish East?!