Antipater
ANTIPATER
ANTIPATER (first century c.e.), the eldest son of Herod by his first wife Doris. After his marriage to Mariamne the Hasmonean, Herod sent Doris and Antipater away. But when Mariamne had been condemned to death and tension grew between her sons and Herod's other sons, Herod restored Antipater to court. From the moment he returned to his father's house, Antipater sought to annihilate the sons of Mariamne in order to attain the throne. As long as he was in Jerusalem, he informed on them to his father. He continued to inform against his half brothers even when he was sent by his father to Rome already as the designated crown prince (13 b.c.e.). This activity only ceased for a time when Augustus brought about a reconciliation between Herod and his sons, but in the end Antipater and his allies gained their object: Alexander and Aristobulus were executed on Herod's order and Antipater was designated as heir apparent (7 b.c.e.). But just as he had almost
reached his objective, his plot to murder the aged Herod was discovered. Antipater was condemned to death and the sentence carried out five days before Herod's own death.
bibliography:
Jos., Ant., books 16–17; Jos., Wars, 1:552 ff.; Klausner, Bayit Sheni, 4 (19635), 153–69; Schuerer, Gesch, 1 (19014), 407–14; H. Willrich, Das Haus des Herodes (1929), index.
[Abraham Schalit]