There were several Herods. The one Matthew refers to when laying the groundwork for Jesus’ birth is Herod the Great, who reigned in Judea from 37 B.C.E. to 4 B.C.E. Because Herod the Great had to answer to the rulers of the Roman Empire, he was more of a governor than king. Herod was noted for his harsh policies and political scheming. Herod appears in all four Gospels.