A book about one of the most influential and controversial rulers in the history of the Jewish people and Ancient Rome - King Herod I the Great (73-4 BC), whose name is familiar to most readers primarily from the Gospel account of the massacre of infants. During the years of his reign, Herod I expanded the possessions of the Kingdom of Judah, leaving behind unique examples of art and masterpieces of architecture, including the renovated Jerusalem Temple. However, he still firmly retains the reputation of a merciless tyrant, a monster who executed even his own sons. Based on historical documents and scientific discoveries, including modern archaeological research and psychoanalysis, the author not only reconstructs the biography of this authoritarian ruler, negatively perceived by both Christians and Jews, but also tries to understand his controversial actions, touching on social, political, psychological and even medical aspects.