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BYU Studies Quarterly

BYU Studies Quarterly

Authors

John W. Welch

Keywords

Herod, Masada, wealth, economic resources

Abstract

Herod's construction of Masada and many other massive building projects leave no doubt that Herod the Great had access to large amounts of gold and silver. But where his wealth came form and how much he had is not entirely clear. Several clues, however, concerning the sources and relative amounts of Herod's immense wealth and his use of this money to achieve political ends can be found in the historical remains and from the records of Josephus Flavius. This article briefly identifies the main financial information known about Herod, outlines his political uses and principal sources of income, and appraises his economic resources in order, ultimately, to shed light on certain sums of money mentioned by Jesus in the New Testament.

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