Son of Herod the Great by Cleopatra of Jerusalem, who inherited the kingdoms of Iturea and Traconitis (Lk 3:1)—Josephus fills in what Luke missed by adding the territories of Auranitis, Gaulanitis, Batanaea and the district around Paneas—on the death of his father.
We hear hardly anything about him in the NT. Josephus describes him as a likeable and able ruler, fair in his judgements and dealings, and quite unlike the other members of the Herodian family in their political ambitions.
A builder like his father, he refounded Panias as his capital, naming it Caesarea in honour of the emperor (but called Caesarea Philippi to distinguish it from the port of that name founded by his father). He also refounded the town of Bethsaida, on the north-easten end of the Sea of Galilee, naming it Julias in honour of Augustus' daughter; here he built his winter palace.
Philip the Tetrarch was married to his niece Salome (though often confused with the girl whose dance so pleased Herod Antipas that he promised to give her anything she asked and she asked, by her mother's prompting, the head of John the Baptist on a platter). Philip died in 33/4 AD. Leaving no children his territories were annexed by Emperor Tiberius. On Tiberius's death and the ascension of Gaius-Caligula, Philips former territory was granted to Agrippa I, who ruled as 'king.'
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