4. Herod ordered his sister to assassinate his rivals after his death.
People might have supposed that the prospect of death would curb Herod’s murderous tendencies. However, even in the throes of agony, the king was plotting more carnage. Herod left explicit orders with his sister, Salome, that in the event of his death, she was to order the execution of a group of prominent and popular public figures. Herod knew that no one would mourn his passing. So, he chose individuals whose demise would cause the maximum amount of sorrow, which would create celebrations to mark his death. However, Herod’s last wish remained unfulfilled. None of the men died, and Herod’s death passed without any show of national grief.
