Luke 1:5 comments: introducing Herod, Zacharias, and Elisabeth

Luke 1:5 ¶  There was in the days of Herod, the king of Judaea, a certain priest named Zacharias, of the course of Abia: and his wife was of the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elisabeth.

Historians generally believe that Herod or Herod the Great as he was called, ruled Judea as a subservient king to the Roman Empire. He was known for his massive building projects including the expansion of the Second Temple in Jerusalem, called Herod’s temple, and the fortress of Masada where much later Jews will fight to the death in revolt against Rome finishing with a mass suicide. He also built the port at Caesarea Maritima, Herod was an Idumean and Idumea is Edom, which we know from Genesis. Herod is, in a sense, a type of Esau, only without the charm.

Judaea was ruled by Herod until his death at which time it was divided between three of his sons and his sister as a tetrarchy, with Judea as a Roman province until Rome assumed complete control later in the first century.

 Zacharias was from the clan of Abia, the Greek version of the Hebrew Abijah, a descendant of Aaron through Eleazar. Elisabeth was also a descendant of Aaron.

1Chronicles 24:1 ¶  Now these are the divisions of the sons of Aaron. The sons of Aaron; Nadab, and Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar. 2  But Nadab and Abihu died before their father, and had no children: therefore Eleazar and Ithamar executed the priest’s office. 3  And David distributed them, both Zadok of the sons of Eleazar, and Ahimelech of the sons of Ithamar, according to their offices in their service. 4  And there were more chief men found of the sons of Eleazar than of the sons of Ithamar; and thus were they divided. Among the sons of Eleazar there were sixteen chief men of the house of their fathers, and eight among the sons of Ithamar according to the house of their fathers. 5  Thus were they divided by lot, one sort with another; for the

governors of the sanctuary, and governors of the house of God, were of the sons of Eleazar, and of the sons of Ithamar. 6  And Shemaiah the son of Nethaneel the scribe, one of the Levites, wrote them before the king, and the princes, and Zadok the priest, and Ahimelech the son of Abiathar, and before the chief of the fathers of the priests and Levites: one principal household being taken for Eleazar, and one taken for Ithamar. 7  Now the first lot came forth to Jehoiarib, the second to Jedaiah, 8  The third to Harim, the fourth to Seorim, 9  The fifth to Malchijah, the sixth to Mijamin, 10  The seventh to Hakkoz, the eighth to Abijah,