The Wealthiest Man in the History of the World

Rome essentially conquers judea, and the priestly hasmonian leadership realizes they're going to have to do something in a hurry. The priests did something incredibly shrewd, and that as they went they knew the writing was on the wall. They said, we want you to come be our king, if you'll marry one of the daughters of the hasmonians. If you'll be jewish, you can be our jewish king. And so by the time rome shows up, you have this herod character that's claiming kingship.