# Herod the Great becomes king of Judea (37 BCE)

URL: https://christianity-history.com/timeline/-37-herod-the-great-becomes-king-of-judea
Location: Jerusalem, Judea
Themes: Politics

Backed by Rome, Herod takes Jerusalem and rules as a client king, later rebuilding the Second Temple on a monumental scale. At this point in the timeline (37 BCE), there was not yet a Christian church; the Jewish people lived under a succession of Seleucid, Hasmonean, Herodian and Roman rulers, and religious life centred on the Temple in Jerusalem and its high priests.

## Why it matters
Herod the Great becomes king of Judea mattered because it changed the relationship between the churches and political power.

## Sources
- [Wikipedia — Herod the Great](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Herod_the_Great)
- [Encyclopaedia Britannica topic lookup — Herod the Great becomes king of Judea](https://www.britannica.com/search?query=Herod+the+Great+becomes+king+of+Judea)
- [Wikipedia — Second Temple Background (period overview)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Second_Temple_period)