1:5–7 John the Baptist’s birth is foretold during the reign of Herod the Great, who is described as the king of Judea (see note on Matt. 2:1). After being granted kingship from Rome in 40 B.C., Herod ruled Judea, Galilee, Samaria, Perea, and Idumea from 37–4. “Judea” is used broadly here to describe the land of the Jews rather than narrowly to refer to the Roman province. division of Abijah. To provide service for the temple, the priests were divided into 24 divisions, each of which served for a