His cruelty was reflected in the account of the Massacre of the Innocents. When Jesus Christ was born, he was said to have ordered the slaughter of all children in Bethlehem under two years old. Herod was supposedly fearful of prophecies that said that a "King of the Jews" would be born in Bethleham. This challenged his authority, and thus he ordered the crackdown to protect himself.

Herod is known for being a ruthless ruler, but he was also an able and far-sighted administrator who helped in building the economic might of Judaea, founding cities and developing agricultural projects, the most famous project involving rebuilding of the Jewish Temple in Jerusalem.

Herod's death also indicates the latest time at which the birth of Christ could have occurred. Because Herod's death is established to have occurred in 4 B.C. and because Christ was born before Herod died, the traditional date of Christ's birth and the start of the Common era is incorrect.

After his death, his kingdom was divided between three of his sons: Archelaus, Herod Antipas, and Philip.