Hi,
Second day of our company trip was to the Herodium, that artificial hill that can be seen from southern Jerusalem. The site is in the West bank. It didn’t changed much for me, as one that grow up in Jerusalem. But it did prevent from many of my mates to visit this place, as it is not on the main route of school – trips.
The place was the palace of King Herod the Great, who feared his seat and build his palace far from Jerusalem, which was the capital back then. He was buried here. Later, the warriors of the Great Revolt and later Bar Kokhba dig tunnels around and use it as part as it revolt.
The hill from the visitor center, half way up
Looking South-West to Bethlehem
Looking South over the settlements of Nokdim (right) and Tekoa
Model of the Herodium complex The hill was the mountain palace (built as fortress), while the palace itself spread below the hill. Most of the visitors, and us, only visit the fortress on the hill.
The model from a different angle
The old entrance to the Herodium national park with a memorial plate
The suburbans of Bethlehem and down below the ruins of the palace (Lower Herodium)
Looking North West you can see the outskirts of Jerusalem
And in closer look
A view over lower Herodium and reconstruction of greater Herodium
Climbing the hill
A bigger model of the Mountain palace. Today, the walls are covered slopped soil
Looking down on the mountain palace courtyard from above
Looking North over the edge Judaean desert from the top of the hill
Looking East to North from the top of the hill
The inner court from the steps
The Reception hall. It was later used as a synagogue during the revolts
A Miqveh (ritual bath) from the time of the Great Revolt or the Bar Kokhba revolt.
The palace courtyard, looking on the steps from the outer wall.
Weapons foundry from the time of the Bar Kokhba revolt.
The same curbing as can be seen on the Western wall, the stamp of Herod the Great. Rough in the middle with a smooth line on the edges
The Plaster on the walls
The scale of the main tower on the walls
The excavation on site continues
The bathhouse
The entrance to the tunnel system
Sign about the underground system
A secondary entrance to tunnels from the palace basements
Upper tunnel system, from the time of the Bar Kokhba revolt (blocked)
Remains of a tunnel form the time of the Great Revolt
A hall leading to the large cistern with an exhibition on the digging of the theater and the royal hosting hall
The exhibition
The Large cistern
Entrance to the Eastern tunnel system, from the time of the Bar Kokhba revolt
Tunnels from the time of the Bar Kokhba Revolt (132-135/6 CE)
The arches corridor and the entrance hall to the mountain palace, hosting the rest of the exhibition
The rest of the exhibition
The theater and above it the royal hosting hall
Restoration of the royal hosting hall
The Theater from above
Restoration drawing of the stairs leading to the Mountain palace
The formwork to the stairs
A model of tomb of Herod the Great
The remains of the tomb. The warriors of the revolts, revenged the king by destroying the tomb. They considered Herod the great as a client Roman king, because he didn’t was from the family of King David.