Herodians
Sect of Hellenistic Jews / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Herodians (Greek: Ἡρώδειοι; Latin: Herodiani) were a sect of Hellenistic Jews mentioned in the New Testament on two occasions – first in Galilee, and later in Jerusalem – being hostile to Jesus (Mark 3:6, 12:13; Matthew 22:16; cf. also Mark 8:15, Luke 13:31–32, Acts 4:27). In each of these cases their name is coupled with that of the Pharisees.[1]
According to many interpreters, the courtiers or soldiers of Herod Antipas ("Milites Herodis," Jerome) were intended; others argue that the Herodians were probably a public political party, who distinguished themselves from the two great historical parties of post-exilic Judaism (the Pharisees and Sadducees) by the fact that they were and had been sincerely friendly to Herod the Great, the King of the Jews, and to his dynasty.[2]