Karak Resources Project

The area that later become the territory of Philip, one of the sons and heirs of Herod the Great, also had huge estates that began at least by the first century BC. When Herod determined to plant a colony in Batanea, he settled 500 mounted archers and their relatives on tax free land (Josephus, Antiquities 17.23-25). S. Freyne argues that Herod must have owned the land that he gave them. Again, if he gave each six acres, then he must have owned at least 3000 acres. Likewise Herod settled 3000 Idumeans in Trachonitis to restrain brigands in the area (Josephus, Antiquities 16. 285). This action would have required around 18,000 acres.

Finally, Josephus notes that a certain official in the service of Agrippa II had control of villages near Gamala (Josephus, Life 47). We may assume that this official gained this control from Agrippa II himself. This arrangement is like that described above. A king would often give a portion of one of his vast estates to a favored bureaucrat as reward for faithful service.

We cannot trace a history of these estates before the time of Herod the Great. Therefore, we should conclude that this area was developed by Herod and not inherited by him from the Hasmoneans.