The Song of the Muscles Chapter XNUMX: Herod enters the picture and begins to support sports in Jerusalem

Herod's tremendous and unprecedented contribution in the sporting field is manifested in many ways

Since 63 BC, Judah was under Roman rule. Hasmonean rule and with it a great deal of Judean sovereignty came to an end.
In the 4s, through the star of the Antipater family, which received political appointments from the Romans, and from its descendants the figure of Herod (originally his name was Herodas, with the first being a sword and a pronounced bow today and the second being a tsar), who was appointed king of Judah on behalf of the Romans (37-XNUMX BC) s). This appointment was an expression of the relationship forged between him and the Roman Empire and is a result of his political skills and his diplomatic virtues.

His tremendous and unprecedented contribution in the sporting field must be examined in the following ways:

First - his period is characterized by a huge building boom, mainly urban, based on the Hellenistic polis form, including the gymnastic (athletic) and agonistic (competitive) elements.

Second - the political reality of Judah, which was bound up in the structure of the Roman Empire, demanded the integration of the Jewish kingdom into the world culture, and especially in this period, when the Roman orientation demanded to bring all its protected lands under the wings of the Hellenistic and ecumenical (universal) culture.

More than that, the only way to gain power and maintain it was to accept the rise of Rome and integrate into it. From this, Herod behaved as the Hellenistic king in everything, both at the level of the administration of the state and at the level of his private life as well: in his court gathered advisers and officials, who were known and accepted in Hellenistic society, and his palace served as a council house for the people of Shem in all fields of culture such as philosophy, literature, rhetoric and more.

Thirdly - the period in question was blessed with a great upsurge in the Roman cultural world, including the sporting one. Hundreds of sports facilities were established throughout the empire such as circuses, amphitheatres, gymnasiums, baths and swimming pools. The Romans, imbued with the cosmopolitan attitude when it comes to sports, founded games in the Hellenistic style, supported ancient Hellenic games and brought the gospel of revival to classical sporting events, such as the Olympics.

Fourth - Herod's time was marked by economic enrichment and years of peace and security.

Fifth - various Jewish ideological factions and tendencies, which operated in Herod's time, such as the Pharisees and the Sadducees, were not at all distant from the world of classical Greek ideas such as Platonism, Pythagoreanism and more.

Sixth - Herod himself behaved like a Hellenistic noble in every way, and this concern was also expressed in his physical fitness. He excelled in wrestling, javelin throwing, target shooting and hunting.

All these figures clarify the background for the unprecedented sporting boom that took place in the days of Herod and on his personal initiative, even if a little obsessive.

Herod's sports activities were insatiable, and they had no equal in the history of Judah. His greatest, initial act was associated with renewing the face of Jerusalem, including the building of the Temple on its walls, avenues and all its architectural perimeters, the one on which sages poured out that "he who has not seen Herod's building (the Temple) has not seen a building of his time", and we emphasize that Herod He was not, to put it mildly, beloved and dear to the terms and conditions.

On the occasion of the dedication of the temple and the city in general in 28 BC, Herod in Jerusalem manages an unprecedented project in every dimension, scope and depth, and when he learned about it from Greek, Hellenistic and Roman customs, the Jewish ruler realized that there was no better way than to hold sports competitions in the city. The competitions, in pre-built architectural facilities, were held in honor of the reigning emperor, Principes Augustus (formerly Octavian), whom Herod counted among his friends. The games were called "almost Olympic" under the name "The Five Year Games", as is customary in the classical competitions, meaning they were supposed to be held once every four years, but for mythological and religious-magical reasons, the year of holding the games was counted twice - once as opening cycle and once as closing cycle.

The honorable event received an interesting coverage by Yosef ben Mattheyahoo who knows how to tell that the games were held with great elegance, that more than in the past competitors, famous and skilled in various sports were invited and that the buildings that were erected especially for the sports events were amazing in their splendor.

Josephus mentions the branches of wrestling, gymnastic amusements, equestrian competitions, theater and music as well as fights between gladiators.
Seemingly routine sports events, although in the context of the dedication of the city and therefore the impression takes on a more intensified dimension, but behind the events are hidden some interesting points that are summarized in a kind of "world-sporting" innovation initiated by Herod, probably in cooperation with the Roman authorities.

This is a special, almost impossible combination between the Hellenic-Hellenistic sport and the Roman one, like the hybrid between gymnastic games and gladiatorial competitions, what is known in Roman culture as the blood games in the arena. and why? Because between the disciplines of the Greek and the Roman sports there is a chasm so deep that a sharp and sharp criticism, Hellenic of course, was made towards the Roman sports and its cruelty, while Herod succeeded with a special initiative and political wisdom to bridge the chasm and thus open an important chapter in the development of ancient sports.

Also, the offer of silver prizes, which is completely contrary to Hellenic sports, managed to arouse interest among athletes outside of Judea, including professional sports associations. And even in doing so, an important link (although there is a dispute about its value, and perhaps rightly so) of financial compensation was contributed to the competing athletes.
And what about the bloody, gladiatorial events? Well, Joseph ben Matthew testifies to this as follows: "Prey animals were also prepared and very many lions and other animals were collected for him, which excel in extraordinary strength, and also in that they are extremely rare by nature. Clashes were held between these and those, and battles between human beings who were condemned to death and between those animals, to the amusement and pleasure of the strangers at both the expense and the dangers of the play, while for the people of the land it was an open violation of the laws they respected, since it seemed to them as a clear sin to throw away my children -A person to live for the pleasure of (other) people..." (Kdm. 276:273-XNUMX).

Blood events of this type were completely foreign to Hellenic and Hellenistic sports, but not to Roman, and Herod for various reasons once again created the unprecedented combination between the two disciplines as mentioned above - between the Hellenic/Hellenistic and the Roman. But this is about Jerusalem and especially the Jewish image that Herod decorated himself, and certainly he was not interested in spoiling the celebrations and being exposed to a Jewish uprising. And for this reason, he did not throw professional gladiators into the arena, but those who were condemned to death and could buy their lives by winning in the arena, which was common in the blood games in Rome.

The Jewish public did criticize events of this type, but did not translate its disapproval into any rebellion.

Later, Yosef ben Mattathieu relates that a Jerusalem delegation was organized and demanded in an offensive way from Herod to reveal to her the prizes for the winners, which she considered to be idolatry. Herod could have ignored, or on the other hand punished the head lifters, but chose to forgive his honor, when he leads the delegation to a nearby room and shows them with certainty that there is no section in the statues but in details of clothing and weapons.
The interesting point is that the delegation did not request to pass any kind of protest against holding sports games in general, which proves that the positive awareness towards physical activity was assimilated in Jewish society.

Indeed, it can be cautiously assumed that Herod thereby contributed, even if indirectly, beyond the professional-sports aspect mentioned above, also to the expansion of the socio-economic circle of those with a positive consciousness towards physical activity in Judea and abroad.