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TETRARCH*
Title of a class of Roman provincial officials. Tetrarchs were tributary princes who were not deemed important enough to be designated kings. The title was used in the Roman provinces of Thessaly, Galatia, and Syria. The origin of the title appears to have come from governors who ruled over a fourth part of a region or country, as was the case in Syria after the death of Herod the Great. By NT times, the etymological significance had diminished, so that the title merely designated secondary princes. Three tetrarchs are mentioned in the Bible. Luke reports that Herod (Antipas) was the tetrarch of Galilee, Philip was the tetrarch of Iturea and Traconitis, and Lysanius was the tetrarch of Abilene (Lk 3:1). Of these, only Herod is mentioned elsewhere in the Bible (Mt 14:1; Lk 3:19; 9:7; Acts 13:1). Herod’s greater significance is indicated by the fact that he is also referred to as “king” by his Jewish subjects (Mt 14:9; Mk 6:14).