h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Excellent entry. I have one thing to add, though.

There were quite a few Herods who ruled in Judea, just like there were quite a few Caesars who ruled in Rome. The Roman client king who built a Temple was Herod the Great.

While Caesar was at first a family name it became a title. On the other hand Herod was not a title but a name. Other Jewish rulers (beside H. the Great) were also called Herod because they were his relatives.

How true. None of the Herods made themselves particularly loved, either to their subjects or to their Roman overseers.

Being a client king under the Romans was a lot like being a middle manager in a modern-day company. Your overseers make you responsible for a production quota, but don't give you the power to achieve it. Your employees, meanwhile, are likely to stage a rebellion if production quotas are even mentioned in their presence.

I loved the analogy. Herod was much hated by contemporary Jews, and he was truly a cruel man (killed his wife and much more) but he really had a tough job and it seemed that cruelty was a must requirement for the ruling class at that time, much like being slimy and dishonest is a must for present day rulers.

Herod was a man name and not a title. He wasn't roman but from a converted jew from a local tribe that was conquerd by the jews few generations before. he helped the romans with a ear they had in the region and escaped to rome.
Most of the jews through out the history saw him as outsider, but the facts were that he was a religius jew and kept all the jewish costums and holidays. and above all he built the biggest temple for the jews.
he also built shrines and temples for the roman rulers but like all king at that time he was under them and their mercy.