Tourism
Herodion
Herodion, the burial place of Herod the Great and the only site that bears his name, is situated 15 km south of Jerusalem, where It the Judean hills meet the Judean Desert. Herod reigned over Judea and extensive parts of the Land of Israel from 37 to 4 B.C.E. Grandiose building activities continued throughout this long reign, including such projects as Masada, the towns of Samaria-Sebastia, and three palaces in Jericho with a reconstruction of the Temple Mount.
Herodion was probably built between 32 and 20 B.C.E. Its most striking feature is the volcano-shaped artificial mound which masks the ruins of a unique round structure - the Mountain Palace-Fortress. The building was intended also as a monument even in Herod's day.
During the First Jewish Revolt against the Romans, Herodion was occupied by Jewish rebels. In 66 C.E. the rebels and their families crowded into the available space, using columns and capitals as building materials. They converted the triclinium into a synagogue and installed ritual baths nearby. Herodion - together with Masada -remained in rebel hands for a short time after the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 C.E. However, at Herodion, for unknown reasons, the rebels surrendered without a battle.
During the Second Jewish Revolt (132-135 C.E) under the leadership of the legendary Bar-Kochba, Jewish rebels once again took advantage of the Mountain Palace-Fortress. With the bitter lessons of the First Revolt in mind, the rebels created an intricate underground system in attempt to withstand the mighty Roman army by fighting an unconventional war. The revolt, however, was crushed and Herodion was abandoned for another 400 years.
During the Byzantine period, up until the Muslim conquest in the mid-7th century C.E., many monasteries sprang up in the Judean Desert. Three churches were built at that time in the ruins of Mountain Palace-Fortress.
A short time after the Muslim invasion Herodion was abandoned, and there is no evidence of any later inhabitants. The mountain was declared a National Park in 1968. The site serves as a fascinating museum with guided tours, where tunnels and stairs lead visitors from one period of history to the next.
