The world in 4 BC — what happened that year

22 events the sources record for this year, grouped by region.

What happened

West Asia (17)

• The Syrian governor Varus happens to be in Jerusalem, and Herod accuses Antipater before him (Josephus, Jewish War and Antiquities of the Jews BJ 1.617–619)
• Uproar over pulling down the golden eagle from the Temple gate — Herod, gravely ill, is enraged (Josephus, Jewish War and Antiquities of the Jews BJ 1.648–650)
• Herod's illness spreads through his whole body, and he tries a hot-water cure at Callirrhoe (Josephus, Jewish War and Antiquities of the Jews BJ 1.656–658)
• Back at Jericho, Herod gathers the notables and gives a cruel order (Josephus, Jewish War and Antiquities of the Jews BJ 1.659–660)
• Five days after the news that his son Antipater was sentenced to death, Herod dies — 34 years after Antigonus's execution, 37 after Rome made him king (Josephus, Jewish War and Antiquities of the Jews BJ 1.665–669)
• Herod's funeral procession goes to Herodium, where he is buried (Josephus, Jewish War and Antiquities of the Jews BJ 1.670–673)
• When Archelaus holds a feast for his father's funeral, the crowd riots, and he unleashes the army, killing about 3,000 (Josephus, Jewish War and Antiquities of the Jews BJ 2.1–3)
• Before the verdict, the Roman procurator Sabinus fights a great battle with the Jewish crowd in Jerusalem, and the Temple porticoes burn (Josephus, Jewish War and Antiquities of the Jews BJ 2.39–44)
• In the chaos after Herod's death, Judas rebels at Sepphoris and seizes weapons (Josephus, Jewish War and Antiquities of the Jews BJ 2.55–56)
• In Perea, Simon, a former royal slave, puts a crown on his head and leads a band of brigands (Josephus, Jewish War and Antiquities of the Jews BJ 2.57–59)

More on the map (+7)

Southern Europe (5)

• Archelaus and Antipas go to Rome to contest the throne before Caesar, with Nicolaus defending Archelaus (Josephus, Jewish War and Antiquities of the Jews BJ 2.37–38)
• Caesar hears both sides, divides Herod's kingdom among his sons and makes Archelaus ethnarch (Josephus, Jewish War and Antiquities of the Jews BJ 2.93–100)
• Archelaus and Antipas contend for the throne before Augustus in Rome (Josephus, Jewish War and Antiquities of the Jews 17.227)
• Augustus makes Archelaus not king but ethnarch over half the territory (Josephus, Jewish War and Antiquities of the Jews 17.317)
• Herod's territory is divided among Archelaus, Antipas and Philip, and Salome is given Jamnia, Azotus and other places (Josephus, Jewish War and Antiquities of the Jews 17.321)

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