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| By israelinsider staff May 8, 2007 |
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| Herodium from below |
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The Hebrew University of Jerusalem announced Monday the discovery of the tomb and grave of Herod the Great, the Roman empire's "King of the Jews" in ancient Judea at the time of Jesus and Josephus.
The University said the discovery was made at Herodium, Herod's hilltop fortress palace, 7 miles south of Jerusalem, not far from Bethlehem.
The tomb was discovered by Hebrew University Professor Ehud Netzer, considered one of the leading experts on King Herod. He has been digging at Herodium since 1972 trying to locate the grave and tomb.
Most researchers had believed that Herod was buried there, relying on the claim in the writings of the ancient Jewish historian Flavius Josephus. Netzer's most recent dig focused on a different part of the site than previous ones, between the upper part of Herodium and the site's two palaces, Haaretz reported.
The Herodium excavations began in 1972 with assistance from the Society for the Reclamation of Antiquities, Ynet reported. In August 2006, digging began on the north-eastern slope of the mountain. Monumental steps, six-and-a-half meters (over 20 feet) wide provided access to the grave.
Most of the mausoleum has been taken apart over the years. All that remained was the 100 square meter (over 1,000 feet) stone foundation. Within, Ynet reported, archeologists found pieces of the sarcophagus that held the king's remains. The coffin, 2.5 meters (8.2 feet) long is made of pinkish Jerusalem stone, with bronze embellishments. It was smashed, most probably during the first rebellion against the Romans between 66-72 CE.
In 2006, when it became clear that the grave itself was not inside the burial plot, the archeologists decided to shift their efforts to the slope. "We believe that Herod had planned to be buried at the foot of the mountain, in the burial plot, but as he grew older he changed his mind and decided to be buried on the mountain," Netzer said.
Shaul Goldstein, head of the Gush Katif council, in which the Herodium is located, said that the discovery would turn the area into a site of global and religious importance.
"The discovery is another proof of Gush Etzion's direct link to the history of the Jewish people and Jerusalem and we must prepare for tens of thousands of visitors," he added.
However, the current path of the security barrier separates the site from Jerusalem and the rest of Gush Etzion.
Herodium has long been an Israeli national park.
History of Herodium
Herodium, before it was destroyed by the Romans in 71 CE, was one of the largest monarchical complexes in the Roman Empire, serving as a residential palace, a sanctuary, an administrative center and a mausoleum. Herod built the cone-shaped hill, visible from Jerusalem, then built within it a fortified palace surrounded by watchtowers to be used solely in wartime.
At the base of the hill, he built an additional palace, the size of a small town, known as "Lower Herodium." The palace included many buildings, fancy gardens, pools, stables, and storage areas. Haaretz reported that Herod spared no expense in attempting to turn the site into a regional gem, bringing water from Solomon's Pools and special soil to allow the gardens to bloom in the dry desert heat.
With the outbreak of the Great Revolt, Herodium was seized by the rebels led by Bar Kokhva, but then was handed over without resistance to the Romans following the fall of Jerusalem in 70 CE, later to be abandoned. Four hundred years later, , the site was settled by Byzantine monks, and then served as a leper colony before being finally abandoned in the 7th century CE.
The first archeological dig at the site, between the years 1956 and 1962, was conducted by a Franciscan monk and revealed most of the currently-known remains, Haaretz said. Israel began excavations at the site in 1972, several years after conquest of the area from Jordan in the Six-Day War.
Herod biography
The following biographical information is from Wikipedia:
Herod the Great arose from a wealthy, influential Idumaean family. The Idumaeans, successors to the Edomites of the Hebrew Bible, settled in Idumea, formerly known as Edom, in southern Judea. When the Maccabean John Hyrcanus conquered Idumea in 140?130 BC, he required all Idumaeans to obey Jewish law or to leave; most Idumaeans thus converted to Judaism.
King Herod identified himself as a Jew and was considered as such by his contemporaries. This religious self-identification notwithstanding, the Herodians were to a large extent Hellenistic in culture, which would have earned them the antipathy of observant Jews. He was the second son of Antipater the Idumaean, the Idumeans having been just converted to Judaism by John Hyrcanus, and was founder of the Herodian Dynasty. Herod's mother was Cypros, a princess from Petra in Nabatea (now part of Jordan). The family rubbed shoulders with the greats in Rome, such as Pompey and Cassius, and in 47 BC his father was appointed Procurator over Judea, who then appointed his son governor of Galilee at the age of 25.
After his father was poisoned in 43 BC, allegedly by a tax collector, Herod had the murderer executed. After returning from a campaign, he was offered the betrothal to the teenage princess Mariamne (sometimes spelled Mariamme) from the former Hasmonean dynasty who were the titular rulers of Judaea. Although legally permitted to have more than one wife, he banished his first wife Doris and her 3-year-old son, also named Antipater, and married Mariamne (known as Mariamne I). In 40 BC Antigonos and the Parthians invaded Judea, and Herod fled Jerusalem to Rome for the first time.
There he was elected "King of the Jews" by the Roman Senate. However, Herod did not fully conquer Judea until 37 BC. He ruled for 34 years..
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