Just outside Jerusalem, the drive gives you a sense of the split between Israel and the various settlements. The Herodion is a bit collapsed but enough remains to get the sense of the fortress and burial monument.
The Herodion National Park – King Herod’s Tomb & Castle
NOTE: Last entry is 1 hour before closing time
Historian Josephus writes that King Herod the Great built a magnificent palace at a spot located about 12 kilometers south of Jerusalem in order to commemorate his military victory over the Parthians. Herod “built a town on that spot in commemoration of his victory, and enhanced it with wonderful palaces… and he called it Herodion after himself,” the Jewish-Roman historian writes in The Wars of the Jews.
He goes on to note the strength of the fortress, located alongside a hill with a distinct conical (he calls it breast-like) shape, which Herod greatly expanded and filled with lush gardens, elaborate apartments, and of course, heavily fortified ramparts. And indeed, even today, 2,000 years after Herod’s time, Herodion is a wonder to behold. Although the site was conquered and destroyed by the invading Roman army in 70 CE, the ruins are still very well-preserved and include the various halls of the fortress, ritual baths, water cisterns, and the remains of a first-century synagogue built in the Galilean style.
The Herodion is located east of Bethlehem, near the Jewish settlements of Tekoa and Nokdim, and is a major landmark visible for miles around. In 2007, archaeologist Ehud Netzer claimed that he had discovered the tomb of King Herod midway up the hill on the northern slope of Herodion, at a spot that directly corresponds with a description of the King’s burial place in Josephus. Netzer died in October 2010, several days after sustaining a bad fall when a railing gave way at the site, which he had been excavating for more than 40 years.
TripAdvisor Reviews
Based on 328 traveler reviews“One of the Few Israel National Park sites in the West Bank”
This is where Herod the Great's tomb was found in 2007. On a clear day, you can see into Jordan, a sweeping view of Jerusalem and also Bethlehem. Climb through the tunnel system used by the Jewish Rebels and see the palace that Herod built. Also, a great, but cheesy film...
MoreThis is where Herod the Great's tomb was found in 2007. On a clear day, you can see into Jordan, a sweeping view of Jerusalem and also Bethlehem. Climb through the tunnel system used by the Jewish Rebels and see the palace that Herod built. Also, a great, but cheesy film about the life and death of Herod is shown in the visitor center.
Less“Amazing”
It begins with a short movie introducing the place - you can ask for the language, but I didn't ask if there are any other choices other than Hebrew and English - then you tour the place and see why Herod The Great is called the greatest builder in Jewish history (if it was...
MoreIt begins with a short movie introducing the place - you can ask for the language, but I didn't ask if there are any other choices other than Hebrew and English - then you tour the place and see why Herod The Great is called the greatest builder in Jewish history (if it was not enough just seeing the Western Wall). His love for water features here includes a pool twice the size of an Olympic pool!. The place is well presented with signs showing what was Herod's and what were the changes made by the Revolts of the Jews against the Roman Empire. Pity that when we visited it the Theater and Herod's tomb were closed to the public - usually means that they will be astounding when they reopen. Have to go again when they reopen those two exhibits. To fully appreciate the place take a good look at the models or drawings then look at the remains and imagine what it looked like in his time. When walking through the tunnels - from the time of the revolt - imagine what they would have looked like when they were the original set of giant water cisterns that were required to satisfy Herod's desire for water
Less“The scale of Herod's building never fails to amaze”