The Life of Herod the Great
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The Life of Herod the Great
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Narrated by:
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Blair Underwood
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Robin Miles
About this listen
'The Life of Herod The Great – like Hurston herself – is a masterpiece, a miracle, and a marvel. In other words, treasure for the whole world' Tayari Jones, author of An American Marriage
In the 1950s Zora Neale Hurston penned a historical novel reconsidering the life of one of the most well-known biblical figures, Herod the Great. That novel was never published in Hurston's lifetime. Now for the first time, it is brought to glorious life with commentary from scholar Deborah G. Plant.
Far from his villainous portrayal in the New Testament, Hurston casts Herod as a forerunner of Christ, a beloved king who enriched Jewish culture and brought prosperity and peace to Judea. An intimate of both Marc Antony and Julius Caesar, the Judean king lived in a time of war and imperial expansion that was rife with political assassinations and bribery, as the old world gave way to the new.
By bringing this complex, compelling and oft misunderstood leader into shining focus, The Life of Herod the Great invites the reader to reassess history and the world as they know it. What was in Herod’s time is and will be again. Zora Neale Hurston’s never-before-published novel is a lantern of understanding that might be held up to the present or the future, and nothing short of a masterpiece.
A never-before-published novel from beloved author Zora Neale Hurston, revealing the historical Herod the Great – not the demon the Bible makes him out to be but a religious and philosophical man who lived a life of adventure.
©2025 Zora Neale Hurston (P)2025 HarperCollins PublishersCritic reviews
'Strange but intriguing… A lively portrait of a man torn between two worlds' SUNDAY TIMES
'Upon her grave "a genius of the south" is chiseled and it still undersells what her work has meant to twentieth century American literature' JARRED MCGINNIS, AUTHOR OF THE COWARD
'Full of adventure, glamour, and historical figures, including Herod's close friends Julius Caesar and Marc Antony, this is a fascinating addition to the Hurston canon' STARRED BOOKLIST REVIEW
'[Hurston] delivers an intriguing counterpoint to the biblical 'massacre of the innocents' story, framing Herod as a strong and complex protagonist, one who balances his political ambitions with his loyalty to his people. Hurston completists ought to snatch this up' PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
'Hurston’s novel is a fresh historical perspective of King Herod the Great. It is full of adventure, vivid characters and humour. I pored over each page and I was struck by Hurston’s presentation of Herod’s diplomacy and profound philosophical reflections about power' DR LESLEY NELSON-ADDY, RUNNYMEDE TRUST
'The Life of Herod the Great is a work of historical fiction that reimagines one of the Bible's most infamous characters and offers a new way to view him. The manuscript itself is unfinished, but the book also includes letters from Hurston about her research, which lets readers in on the author's process.' TOWN & COUNTRY
'In The Life of Herod the Great, Hurston subverts the traditional perception of Herod the Great from biblical villain into a religious and philosophical man who lived a life of valor and vision. Hurston brings her trademark complexity and care to illuminate this life, creating a pioneering work that we’re lucky to have in the world.' CHICAGO REVIEW OF BOOKS