Herodium
Herodium, located about seven miles south of Jerusalem and four miles southeast of Bethlehem, is a significant archaeological site that served as a fortress and palace built by Herod the Great, a client king of Rome. Construction of Herodium began in 24 BC and was completed by 15 BC. The site is notable for its circular fortifications, which are surrounded by double walls and four towers, one of which is believed to be the burial site of Herod. The adjacent palace features a colonnaded hall, a large dining area, and Roman-style bathing facilities adorned with painted stucco and mosaics.
Historically, Herodium played a crucial role during the First Jewish Revolt, where it was held by insurgents until 72 AD, and later during the Second Revolt, serving as a stronghold and a center for rebel leaders. The complex underwent significant transformations, including the conversion of the palace court into a synagogue and the presence of ritual baths. Following its abandonment after the revolts, Christian monks established a chapel in the fifth century among the ruins, and the site has revealed inscriptions in various languages, including Hebrew, Aramaic, Greek, and Latin, reflecting its diverse historical significance. Herodium continues to be a site of interest for both archaeology and history, symbolizing the complex interactions of cultures in ancient Judea.
Subject Terms
Herodium
(Jebel el-Fureidis in Israel)
A fortification seven miles south of Jerusalem, and four miles south east of Bethlehem. Herodium was one of a chain of massive fortress-palaces built by the Jewish monarch Herod the Great, a client of Rome; its construction was begun in 24 BC, and it was finished by 15, when Herod showed his creation to Augustus' lieutenant Marcus Agrippa.
Standing on top of a mountain that rises 2,489 feet above sea level and was elevated further by a massive artificial mound, the stronghold was circular in shape, surrounded by double walls equipped with four towers: some believe that Herod was (and is) buried in the still-unexcavated north tower. The adjacent palace includes a colonnaded and pilastered hall, a large dining hall with adjoining rooms, and a bathing establishment in the Roman manner with painted stucco walls and mosaic floors. Josephus, who offers a detailed account of the complex, describes numerous further constructions at the foot of the hill, including residential apartments, baths, storehouses, plastered cisterns, and pools which, since there is no source of water nearby, were supplied by aqueducts from the neighborhood of Bethlehem.
In the First Jewish Revolt (First Roman War, AD 66–73), Herodium was garrisoned by insurgents and held out until 72, two years after the fall of Jerusalem and its Temple. During the Second Revolt (132–35), it once again became a major fortress, employed (as letters from Wadi Murabbaat reveal) as a center where the rebel leaders stored the grain and taxes they collected. The palace court was, at this juncture, converted into a synagogue or place of assembly, and archaeologists have identified what is believed to have been a ritual bath. After the insurrection was over, Herodium was abandoned, until, during the fifth century, Christian monks established a chapel among the ruins. Rooms in the palace have yielded graffiti in Hebrew, Aramaic, Greek and Latin, ranging in date from the time of Herod the Great to the Byzantine epoch.