Herodium, an artificial cone shaped Mt. Judean Desert ,Israel
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moris kushelevitch / Alamy Stock PhotoImage ID:
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6144 x 4081 px | 52 x 34.6 cm | 20.5 x 13.6 inches | 300dpiDate taken:
2010Location:
Herodium,Judean Desert, IsraelMore information:
Josephus describes Herodium as follows: "This fortress, which is some sixty stadia distant from Jerusalem, is naturally strong and very suitable for such a structure, for reasonably nearby is a hill, raised to a height by the hand of man and rounded off in the shape of a breast. At intervals it has round towers, and it has a steep ascent formed of two hundred steps of hewn stone. Within it are costly royal apartments made for security and for ornament at the same time. At the base of the hill there are pleasure grounds built in such a way as to be worth seeing, among other things because of the way in which water, which is lacking in that place, is brought in from a distance and at great expense. The surrounding plain was built up as a city second to none, with the hill serving as an acropolis for the other dwellings. Herodium was conquered and destroyed by the Romans in 71 CE. At the beginning of the Bar Kokhba revolt, Simon bar Kokhba declared Herodium as his secondary headquarters. Archaeological evidence for the revolt was found all over the site, from the outside buildings to the water system under the mountain. Inside the water system, supporting walls built by the rebels were discovered, and another system of caves was found. Inside one of the caves, burned wood was found which was dated to the time of the revolt. Hebrew University Professor Ehud Netzer reported on May 8, 2007 that he had discovered the tomb of Herod, above tunnels and water pools at a flattened site halfway up the hill to Herodium , 12 kilometres (7.5 mi) south of Jerusalem, at the precise location given by Josephus in his writings.A description of Herodium, as well as of Herod’s funeral procession there, can be found in the writings of the ancient Roman-era historian, Flavius Josephus.