King Herod the Great

The last illness of Herod the Great, king of Judaea.

NTRODUCTION FOR most of us living in the second half of the twentieth century, Herod the Great remains a shadowy figure who is recalled only at Christmas when we read of his massacre of the innocents (Matt. 2:16). He is even confused with Herod Agrippa who persecuted the Church and also died a miserable death (Acts 12:23). Our ancestors, however, were better informed since they often kept, on t...

Illnesses of Herod the Great.

Herod the Great, Idumean by birth, was king of the Jews from 40 to 4 BC. An able statesman, builder and warrior, he ruthlessly stamped out all perceived opposition to his rule. His last decade was characterised by vicious strife within his family and progressive ill health. We review the nature of his illnesses and suggest that he had meningoencephalitis in 59 BC, and that he died primarily of ...

The Illnesses of Herod the Great

Herod the Great, Idumean by birth, was king of the Jews from 40BC to AD 4. An able statesman, builder and warrior, he ruthlessly stamped out all perceived opposition to his rule. His last decade was characterised by vicious strife within his family and progressive ill health. We review the nature of his illnesses and suggest that he had meningoencephalitis in 59 BC, and that he died primarily o...

King Henry VIII's other great matter.

200 J Fam Plann Reprod Health Care 2012;38:200–201. doi:10.1136/jfprhc-2012-100399 First marriage The divorce of King Henry VIII from his first wife, Catherine of Aragon, has, over the centuries, produced a positive paper storm of academic books and popular works, examination papers and essays. As a subject it has also inspired a number of films and TV documentaries. King Henry posed an argumen...

Bedrock Geology of Herod Quadrangle