Herodeion
West Bank
The hill known as the Herodeion, 11km/7mi southeast of Bethlehem on the Israeli-occupied west bank of the Jordan, is a conspicuous landmark, rising sharply to a height of 100m/330ft above the surrounding country. It was given its characteristic form, like a volcano with its summit levelled off, when Herod, after whom it is named, built a fortified palace here.
The hill known as the Herodeion, 11km/7mi southeast of Bethlehem on the Israeli-occupied west bank of the Jordan, is a conspicuous landmark, rising sharply to a height of 100m/330ft above the surrounding country. It was given its characteristic form, like a volcano with its summit levelled off, when Herod, after whom it is named, built a fortified palace here.
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The excavation site on the Herodeion, which was declared a National Park in 1968, is now constantly guarded by Israeli troops. On the kiosk where visitors get their admission tickets is a plaque commemorating a park warden who was killed by Palestinians in 1988.
History
In 40 B.C., when in the course of the Roman-Parthian war the Hasmonean Antigonus became high priest and king, Herod took refuge here along with Mariamne and the rest of his family before withdrawing to Masada. After re-establishing his authority by his victory over Antigonus in 37 B.C. he built a fortress on the summit which he intended should be his mausoleum. After his death in 4 B.C. his son Archelaus brought his body from Jericho in a splendid cortege to be buried in the mausoleum.
Excavations carried out from 1962 onwards confirmed the vivid account by Flavius Josephus in his "Jewish War". Herod had the summit of the hill cut away and dug out, the spoil being tipped over the edge of the circular plateau thus created, which was surrounded by a double ring of massive walls and towers. In the area within the walls he "built splendid palaces which were not only magnificent within but were surrounded without by walls, battlements and roofs of extravagant splendor". The excavations brought to light a garden laid out in a peristyle court, residential apartments, baths and a synagogue. Water was brought from Solomon's Pools to the south of Bethlehem. The fortress's only gate was approached by a flight of 200 white marble steps.
Herod's tomb has not been found. It is thought to have been destroyed at an early stage, perhaps during the Jewish War (A.D. 66-70), when Jewish zealots took refuge here, or during the Bar Kochba rising (132-135), when Bar Kochba established his headquarters on the hill. Later the Herodeion was occupied by a few Byzantine monks, but in the seventh century, after the Persian and Arab invasions, the site was abandoned, and in subsequent centuries the palace fell into ruin. In 1967, when resisting Jordanian attack, Israel captured Judea and Samaria.
History
In 40 B.C., when in the course of the Roman-Parthian war the Hasmonean Antigonus became high priest and king, Herod took refuge here along with Mariamne and the rest of his family before withdrawing to Masada. After re-establishing his authority by his victory over Antigonus in 37 B.C. he built a fortress on the summit which he intended should be his mausoleum. After his death in 4 B.C. his son Archelaus brought his body from Jericho in a splendid cortege to be buried in the mausoleum.
Excavations carried out from 1962 onwards confirmed the vivid account by Flavius Josephus in his "Jewish War". Herod had the summit of the hill cut away and dug out, the spoil being tipped over the edge of the circular plateau thus created, which was surrounded by a double ring of massive walls and towers. In the area within the walls he "built splendid palaces which were not only magnificent within but were surrounded without by walls, battlements and roofs of extravagant splendor". The excavations brought to light a garden laid out in a peristyle court, residential apartments, baths and a synagogue. Water was brought from Solomon's Pools to the south of Bethlehem. The fortress's only gate was approached by a flight of 200 white marble steps.
Herod's tomb has not been found. It is thought to have been destroyed at an early stage, perhaps during the Jewish War (A.D. 66-70), when Jewish zealots took refuge here, or during the Bar Kochba rising (132-135), when Bar Kochba established his headquarters on the hill. Later the Herodeion was occupied by a few Byzantine monks, but in the seventh century, after the Persian and Arab invasions, the site was abandoned, and in subsequent centuries the palace fell into ruin. In 1967, when resisting Jordanian attack, Israel captured Judea and Samaria.
Related Attractions
Herodion - The Site
At the site of Herodion Palace a broad footpath runs up in a wide curve to the palace, though visitors usually climb up to it by way of a series of underground passages and cisterns. So far three large cisterns, with a total capacity of 2,500 cu.m/550,000gallons, have been found 25m/80ft below the palace complex.
From the top of the hill there are wide views, extending northward over the Judaean Hills to the towers on the Mount of Olives, near Jerusalem, and eastward to the Dead Sea, 1,150m/3,775ft below. The double ring of walls surrounding the Herodion Palace complex, reinforced by a round tower on the east side and three semicircular towers on the other sides, can be clearly distinguished. The outer wall has a diameter of 63m/207ft and, like the inner wall, stands to a height of 20-30m/65-100ft. The space between the two walls was occupied by passages and store-rooms. The round tower on the east side has a diameter of 18.3m/60ft and originally was probably 45m/150ft high.
The circular area within the walls is divided into two equal halves. The eastern part was occupied by a garden surrounded on three sides by Corinthian columns, with semi-columns engaged in the outer walls on the east side. At the north and south ends of the garden were semicircular recesses (exedrae).
The western part of the complex was occupied by residential apartments, mostly single-storied but with high ceilings. The triclinium (dining room), measuring 15m/49ft by 1.5m/34ft, is readily identifiable; it had a large doorway opening into the garden, with a window on either side. The columns and stone benches round three sides of the room were added in A.D. 70, when it was converted into a synagogue. Immediately north of the triclinium, on both sides of a cruciform courtyard, were bedrooms. The west side of the courtyard was occupied in Byzantine times by a chapel belonging to a small monastery built in the ruins of the palace. To the north of the courtyard were the palace baths, the largest room in which was the square caldarium; the circular tepidarium had a 4m/13ft high domed roof.
Lower town
At the foot of the hill are the excavated remains of the lower town built by Herod to house his courtiers and servants, which covers an area of 15 hectares/37 acres. Like the Herodion Palace complex, it was aligned due north and south. It was in three parts - another large palace, of which only scanty remains survive; north of this an area with a large artificial pool; and farther north again a residential district. The pool in the center of the lower town is clearly identifiable; measuring 70m/230ft by 46m/150ft, it was 3m/10ft deep and had a capacity of 10,000 cu.m/2,200,000gallons. In the center of the pool were found remains of a rotunda surrounded by columns. Presumably the pool served both as a reservoir of water and as a recreational area for bathing or boating. Round the pool was a large garden enclosed by massive walls.
From the top of the hill there are wide views, extending northward over the Judaean Hills to the towers on the Mount of Olives, near Jerusalem, and eastward to the Dead Sea, 1,150m/3,775ft below. The double ring of walls surrounding the Herodion Palace complex, reinforced by a round tower on the east side and three semicircular towers on the other sides, can be clearly distinguished. The outer wall has a diameter of 63m/207ft and, like the inner wall, stands to a height of 20-30m/65-100ft. The space between the two walls was occupied by passages and store-rooms. The round tower on the east side has a diameter of 18.3m/60ft and originally was probably 45m/150ft high.
The circular area within the walls is divided into two equal halves. The eastern part was occupied by a garden surrounded on three sides by Corinthian columns, with semi-columns engaged in the outer walls on the east side. At the north and south ends of the garden were semicircular recesses (exedrae).
The western part of the complex was occupied by residential apartments, mostly single-storied but with high ceilings. The triclinium (dining room), measuring 15m/49ft by 1.5m/34ft, is readily identifiable; it had a large doorway opening into the garden, with a window on either side. The columns and stone benches round three sides of the room were added in A.D. 70, when it was converted into a synagogue. Immediately north of the triclinium, on both sides of a cruciform courtyard, were bedrooms. The west side of the courtyard was occupied in Byzantine times by a chapel belonging to a small monastery built in the ruins of the palace. To the north of the courtyard were the palace baths, the largest room in which was the square caldarium; the circular tepidarium had a 4m/13ft high domed roof.
Lower town
At the foot of the hill are the excavated remains of the lower town built by Herod to house his courtiers and servants, which covers an area of 15 hectares/37 acres. Like the Herodion Palace complex, it was aligned due north and south. It was in three parts - another large palace, of which only scanty remains survive; north of this an area with a large artificial pool; and farther north again a residential district. The pool in the center of the lower town is clearly identifiable; measuring 70m/230ft by 46m/150ft, it was 3m/10ft deep and had a capacity of 10,000 cu.m/2,200,000gallons. In the center of the pool were found remains of a rotunda surrounded by columns. Presumably the pool served both as a reservoir of water and as a recreational area for bathing or boating. Round the pool was a large garden enclosed by massive walls.
