King Herod’s mausoleum, which long eluded archaeologists, sheds light on the ruler’s turbulent reign—and its effect on Jesus’s early life
Please be respectful of copyright. Unauthorized use is prohibited.: The meeting between the three magi and Herod, depicted in the 14th-century Queen Mary Psalter.: A 12th-century enamel plaque from Germany depicts King Herod ordering the Massacre of the Innocents.Herod’s father, Antipater, was a wealthy Jewish noble who admired Roman culture and was friendly with Julius Caesar.
Around 10 B.C. Herod ordered the addition of dirt and sand to bulk out the summit of the existing hill to give it its distinctive mounded top that can still be appreciated today. The scope of the complex was remarkable. As Josephus observes in his account of the site, the lower settlement was sufficient “to receive the furniture that was put into them ... and containing all necessaries, that it might seem to be a city.”Please be respectful of copyright. Unauthorized use is prohibited.
Maintaining gardens and pools in such an arid environment was, Josephus noted, as much a feat as the architecture itself: “The water is brought from a great way off, and at vast expense, for the place itself is destitute of water.”Herod befriended influential Romans, including Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa depicted in this bust, the powerful son-in-law of Emperor Augustus. Agrippa visited Herodium in 15 B.C.Despite his well-deserved reputation for violence, Herod valued beautiful things.
Herod died in 4 B.C. not at Herodium but at his winter palace in Jericho. Josephus gave a detailed description of what happened to the king’s body after his death: “A diadem was put upon his head, and a scepter in his right hand ... and the body was carried two hundred furlongs, to Herodium, where he had given order to be buried.”In 2008 archaeologists discovered a theater on the slopes of Herodium. Looking out over Jerusalem, its auditorium had a capacity of more than 400 people.
Intrigued by Josephus’ description of Herod’s burial, Netzer spent years searching for Herod’s tomb. In May 2007 he finally announced that he had uncovered what he believed to be the royal mausoleum containing three broken sarcophagi.
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