Herodians. This was a faction of the Jews in the first century that was sympathetic to Rome. They were a highly political group, hence their name. Naturally, they aligned more with the Sadducees (ruling class) than the Pharisees, but they were seen joined with the Pharisees to temp the Lord (Matt. 22:15-22). The Lord Jesus warned the disciples about the “leaven of the Herodians”, which is likely a general reference to worldliness (Mark 8:15).