ARCHELAUS

(Ar·che·laʹus) [ruler of the people].

Ruler of Judea; son of Herod the Great by his fourth wife, Malthace. Archelaus became king while young Jesus was down in Egypt with Joseph and Mary. Rather than face his tyrannical rule in Judea on their return, Joseph settled his family outside Archelaus’ jurisdiction, up in Nazareth of Galilee.—Matt. 2:22, 23.

Archelaus’ father Herod the Great willed to him the rulership of Judea, Samaria and Idumaea, a share of the kingdom twice that given to each of the other two sons, and which included the important cities of Jerusalem, Samaria, Joppa and Caesarea. After Herod’s death, Archelaus endeavored to make his rulership more secure by appearing before Augustus in Rome; in spite of opposers to his claim, including his brother and a delegation of Jews, Archelaus was allowed to retain his power, though Augustus made him, not a king, but an “ethnarch,” a tributary prince ranking higher than a tetrarch. Matthew, however, is not wrong in referring to him as a “king,” for the local army, including Herod’s mercenaries, had previously proclaimed him such.

Archelaus was a cruel ruler and very unpopular with the Jews. In quelling a riot, he once had 3,000 of them ruthlessly slain in the temple grounds; he twice deposed the high priest; his divorce and remarriage were also contrary to Jewish law. Complaints from the Jews and Samaritans to Augustus finally resulted in an investigation and Archelaus’ banishment in the ninth or tenth year of his reign. Judea thereafter was under Roman governors.—See HEROD.