“During the time of King Herod” refers to the reign of Herod the Great in the Roman province of Judea from approximately 74 BC to 4 BC.
Herod the Great was a real person. He is not only commonly described in the Bible but also in separate histories written by the Roman historian Josephus and the Greek scholar Nicholas of Damascus, who was actually Herod’s private secretary as well as a tutor to the children of Marc Antony and Cleopatra.
A tragic part of the Christmas story is Herod’s order to murder all children under two years old in the area of Bethlehem. This is called “The Murder of The Innocents.” This order is a horrifying clue to his character.
In this video, presenter Frederick Tamagi explores how some historians have characterized Herod as a ruler.