(2025) The Life of Herod the Great by Zora Neale HURSTON

"The Life of Herod the Great" by Zora Neale Hurston, published in 2025. It is a historical novel about Herod the Great, a king of Judea in the first century BCE.

• The novel portrays Herod as a complex and multifaceted figure who defied the one-dimensional, villainous depictions of him in Jewish and Christian traditions.
• Hurston challenges the historical narrative of Herod as a cruel, illegitimate, Hellenized, and impious tyrant by drawing on extensive research and offering a nuanced and contextualized portrayal of the king.
• The novel highlights Herod's political acumen, administrative skills, military achievements, patronage of education and arts, and efforts to promote the well-being of the Jewish people.
• Through Herod's story, Hurston reveals t ...