The Life of Herod the Great: A Novel

"An important addition to Hurston's literary canon, showcasing her skills both as storyteller and historian. This is essential history and literature all in one."

Zora Neale Hurston spent years researching and writing the story of Herod the Great, working to rescue the ancient king of Judea from the reputation the gospels created of a vicious enemy of Jesus Christ. Hurston "contended that not only did Herod not order a massacre of baby boys . . . such an event never happened." According to her letters, Herod became a "great obsession" with Hurston. She pored over ancient sources, including the Jewish historian Josephus, intent on capturing the complexity of early Jewish history as different tribes jockeyed for power.

Unfortunately, the manuscript wasn't accepted for publication in her lifetime and was almost destroyed by fire after her death. This newly published version is almost complete. There are some losses in the later chapters, but not enough to dim the power of the overall narrative which charts Herod's rise to power and long, successful reign. Hurston sees Herod's life as the story of East vs. West, the West being Rome, the East being the Asiatic tribes opposing the empire. The bigger conflict, however, was internal, the priestly class against everyone else, with Herod representing the people and the rule of law against the oppressive rule of prejudice.

She reclaims Herod as a part of his time and place:

"He is merely a prototype of his class of the time. Judea was not, as Christianity keeps on representing it, no different from the tribesmen who received the Law at Sinai. The Sunday Schools of Christianity have neglected to point out the evolution of Jewish culture and thought from the time of Moses to the fall of Jerusalem to Titus in 70 AD. Therefore, it appears that the Jews had and have no life except in the Bible. Like the pressed flower between the leaves of a book. Judea was a very highly evolved nation of people."

The pages that follow, describe that nation through vivid characters and rich settings. The ancient world comes to life in scenes of banquets, battles, trials, and celebrations. Herod's connections to Marc Antony, Octavian, and Cleopatra are woven through the pages in ways that will be new to most readers and which show Herod's strengths as he supports Rome. As he says early in the book:

"My father has been drilling it into his sons for many years that Rome is and will be the center of the world for another thousand years. . . . The center of history is Rome. I am exceeding proud of my Roman citizenship."

The Roman element is crucial to understanding both Herod and the province he rules. Judea was allied to Rome and incorporated Roman architecture and culture into its own. There is much strong history here, but just as powerful are the dramatic twists and turns of Herod's political career. There are betrayals from his own family, along with appreciation from erstwhile enemies. The story is part romance, part drama, part political thriller—all of it fascinating.

The Life of Herod the Great is an important addition to Hurston's literary canon, showcasing her skills both as storyteller and historian. This is essential history and literature all in one.