Category: ANCIENT ISRAEL

After the death of Emperor Julian II in 363 CE, most Jewish settlements in the south were ruined. However, Jews remained in the historical Land of Israel, mainly in Galilee and the larger cities.

King Herod, of Edomite extraction, ruled as king of Israel from 40 to 4 BCE. He was appointed by Rome after conquest of the Jewish kingdom from the Hasmoneans. When Augustus became Caesar in 30 BCE, persuaded him of his loyalty. Augustus rewarded him by adding Jericho, the coastal region south of Dor and the region east of the Sea of Galilee. In 23 BCE, he was given the Bashan, Horen, and Tarchon regions, and three years later, the Golan Heights.