Book by the famous St. Petersburg scientist V.L. Vikhnovich is dedicated to the life and works of the last Jewish king, Herod the Great (73-4 BC), whose name, when mentioned in the Gospel tradition, would seem to be inextricably linked with the negative characteristic: “villain king.” The real fate of the historical king Herod is truly unique. Under his rule, the Kingdom of Judah reached the heights of Judeo-Jewish statehood, surpassing the biblical kingdoms of David and Solomon. As a result of skillful rule, Herod managed the impossible - to combine the incompatible: while remaining a Jew, for the outside world he became a Roman aristocrat, entitled to bear the honorary name Julius - the family name of Caesar and Octavian Augustus; being the patron and financial sponsor of all aspects of Hellenistic culture, he was chosen as an honorary lifelong judge of the Olympic Games... If we consider that the basis of European civilization is Greek wisdom, Roman order and the Jewish religious spirit, then King Herod of the Jews can be considered the first European who organically combined all three components of these cultures. This publication will be of interest not only to scientists studying the history and ideology of the Ancient World, but also to a wide range of readers. The author proposes to reflect on the temptation of absolute power, on the nature of religious and political conflicts in Israel at the turn of the era, on the conditions in which Christianity arose, on the universality and relevance of various models of social development.