| A | B |
|---|
| Antipater of Idumea | rose to power after Roman conquest of Palestine |
| Herod | Antipater's son made governor of Judea |
| Anthony and Octavius | named Herod "King of the Jews" |
| Rome | where herod went for help after his father died |
| 37 B.C. | year Herod took the throne |
| Bethlehem | Herod ordered the slaughter of the innocents there |
| Christ | the Messiah whom Herod feared would depose him |
| Architecture | Herod's area of achievement |
| Temple of Jerusalem | one of the wonders of the ancient world |
| Archelaus | son of Herod who was a cruel and tyrannical ruler |
| Sanhedrim | ruling body at the head of the Jewish courts |
| procurators | rulers appointed to govern by emperor |
| Pontius Pilate | (in)famous procurator from 26-36 A.D. |
| Phillip | son of Herod who ruled the territory east and north of the Lake of Galilee |
| Herod Antipas | son of Herod who ruled over Galilee |
| John the Baptist | beheaded by Herod Antipas |
| excessive taxes | lead to anger in the Jewish province |
| Zealots | pledged to the perpetual hatred of Rome |
| Tiberius | emperor during the time of Ben Hur |
| Nero | emperor at the time Paul died |
| Imperial province | Judea after the banishment of Archelaus |
| Messala | Ben Hur's childhood friend |
| Commercial alliances | one of the ways Rome held power over her conquered territories |
| carcares | stalls |
| tesserae | tickets |
| turning posts | metae |
| Constantine | emperor who established Christianity in Rome |
| Pompa circensis | parade |
| pulvinar | balcony-box |
| naves longae | war ships |
| ova | seven wooden eggs marked laps |
| delphini | seven bronze dolphins marked laps |
| factiones | teams |
| aurigae | charioteers |
| cavea | block of seats |
| quinqueremes | ships with five banks of oars |
| triremes | ships with three banks of oars |
| spina | backbone of racetrack |
| Circus Maximus | great racetrack of Rome |
| Palatine and Avetine | hills on either side of Circus Maximus |
| sponsiones | bets |
| Tirzah | Ben Hur's sister |
| mappa | dropped to start race |
| Titus | emperor who destroyed Jerusalem |
