BLACKHEATH: King Herod had a brain disease (From News Shopper)

How fascinating! I always picture the wise men as being inoffensive enquirers but if they were enemies of Rome... No wonder Herod reacted like he did. Thanks for an interesting article - it's not often anyone remembers Epiphany in the UK - in Spain it is a big deal.

It's an interesting idea to medically diagnose historical figures. Perhaps 'House' will adopt this in the next season - they need new ideas.

This is really great! I never knew that Herod was such an interesting person. This explains a lot, thanks

Great article. What an illuminating insight that gets behind the well loved story.

Important understandings to key biblical events with its unquestionable contemporary relevance.

Having read Dr Bradfords book on "Jesus' missing years" and having just got hold of "According to Matthew" I cant wait to place the above story into its full context.

Dr Bradford seems a voice with an appetite for the Gods good and wonderful truth rather then simplistic or populistic conclusions.

The Gospels provide a very rich seam for enqiring people of every susequent generation to mine and rediscover both historical and spiritual jewels.
Dr Bradford surveys this ancient worthy book with 21st Century infomed and scientific insight, drilling down to its vitals. A provocative and worthy follow up to his book on the "missing years".

Wow, a very interesting article. Would love to read the book and here more on the subject.

News Shopper- Cheers for putting this article up. Made for very interesting reading and would be nice to hear more about this local bloke who has such new thoughts on an old story.
SE

Sometimes when you grow up hearing something (like the Christmas story), you can stop thinking about it. Dr Bradford's article is thought provoking and throws new light on what was happening behind the scenes and makes sense of it, bringing a freshness to a familiar Bible reading.

I'm no medic so there may be some truth in this diagnosis - maybe with a different name in those days!! But why write a book about a book? Surely it would be cheaper to read the original (King James!!) and come to a conclusion yourself. I have just read the two accounts of the birth of Jesus - Matthew's and Luke's and things arn't all happy and clappy as traditional nativity stories would have you think. Herod was not alone in being "disturbed" at the thought of being de-throned by a new king - "all Jerusalem with him". And "Magi" - what are they? the same word used for sorcerer, and in the old testament these guys where grouped with magicians, enchanters and astrologers. So it makes sense that they followed a star to find this new born king of the Jews. But what is this bizarre act of following stars and then to present this king with expensive gifts and to "bow down and worship him". All Jerusalem where "disturbed" at the thought - and I thought they were Jews(!!), but these other guys "Magi" - stargazers, who were alien to the jewish faith and blatent followers of a different set of beliefs that were contrary to the bible (well the old testament in those days coz the new hadn't been completed!!), they came along and "they bowed down and worshipped him". Why? The Jews where disturbed by him but the non-believers worshipped him. And Lukes account, these shepherds weren't just on the closest hill to the "stable" where Jesus was born - they didn't just leave their sheep, trot down the hill and visit Jesus. You'd have to have an amazing imagination to picture the sight of the vast host of angels that visited them, and then they discussed and decided to "go to Bethlehem". So rather then a 5 minute jog down a hill, they would have had to put the sheep away safely, and venture down to Bethlehem which sounds more to me like a trip! These shepherds were living with their sheep which suggests they hummed a bit!! Why send these guys to acknowledge Jesus and not priests or rabbis who probably smelt a bit fresher? This whole story then turns into a blood bath - can you imagine what that was like "hello lady, how olds the baby? wrong answer - I'm going to have to kill him". I know the planets population was alot smaller in those days, and the towns where alot smaller but I would guess that everyone knew someone who had had a baby mutilated. What amazing distress that would have caused. Things arn't pretty and other historical documents (mainly in the British museum) can verify what the area would have been like architecturally, and can verify the times of the various kings in the area which will reaffirm the accuracy of the bible accounts. But as to the good Doctors diagnosis, I'll have to read the book to see if he is going to paint a flowery picture of the gospel of Matthew or if he is going to tell it like it was.