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Coordinates: 31°39′57″N 35°14′29″E / 31.66583°N 35.24139°E / 31.66583; 35.24139
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'''Herodium''' ([[Latin]]), '''Herodeion''' ({{lang-grc|Ἡρώδειον}}), best known in [[Israel]] as '''Herodion''' ({{lang-he|הרודיון}}) and in Arabic as '''Jabal al-Fureidis''' ({{lang-ar|هيروديون}}, lit. "Mountain of the Little Paradise"); also '''Har Hordos''' is a truncated-cone-shaped hill, {{convert|12|km|mi}} south of [[Jerusalem]] and {{convert|5|km|mi}} southeast of [[Bethlehem]], in the [[Judaean Desert]], [[West Bank]]. [[Herod the Great]] built a palace fortress and a small town at Herodium, between 23 and 15 BCE, and is believed to have been buried there.<ref name=bbcarch>{{cite news |title=Israeli archaeologist dies after fall at King Herod dig |url= http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-11655704 |work=BBC |date=2010-10-29 |accessdate=2014-12-17}}</ref> Herodium is 758 meters (2,487&nbsp;ft) above [[sea level]],<ref>{{Cite book |title=Images of the Holy Land |url= https://books.google.com/books?id=fSq-ywpQp4UC&printsec=frontcover&dq=images+of+the+holy+land&cd=1#v=onepage&q |first1=Hedva |last1=Isachar Canetti | first2=Hanan |last2=Isachar |author3=Hazel Arieli |author4=Moshe Yanai |year=2004 |isbn=9789652800855 |page=71 |publisher=Hanan Isachar Photography}}</ref> the highest peak in the [[Judaean Desert]].<ref>[http://62.90.240.156/ngedi-new/website/products/herodion-national-park/index.html Herodion National Park] {{webarchive|url=https://archive.is/20130403140549/http://62.90.240.156/ngedi-new/website/products/herodion-national-park/index.html |date=2013-04-03 }}</ref> Today, the site is controlled<ref>Morag M. Kersel, [http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/1469605314557586 'Fractured oversight: The ABCs of cultural heritage in Palestine after the Oslo Accords,'] Journal of Social Archaeology, Vol. 15(1) 2014 pp.24–44, :’(a) From 1967 onward, legally and administratively, the West Bank was subject to
'''Herodium''' ([[Latin]]), '''Herodeion''' ({{lang-grc|Ἡρώδειον}}), best known in [[Israel]] as '''Herodion''' ({{lang-he|הרודיון}}) and in Arabic as '''Jabal al-Fureidis''' ({{lang-ar|هيروديون}}, lit. "Mountain of the Little Paradise"); also '''Har Hordos''' is a truncated-cone-shaped hill, {{convert|12|km|mi}} south of [[Jerusalem]] and {{convert|5|km|mi}} southeast of [[Bethlehem]], in the [[Judaean Desert]], [[West Bank]]. [[Herod the Great]] built a palace fortress and a small town at Herodium, between 23 and 15 BCE, and is believed to have been buried there.<ref name=bbcarch>{{cite news |title=Israeli archaeologist dies after fall at King Herod dig |url= http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-11655704 |work=BBC |date=2010-10-29 |accessdate=2014-12-17}}</ref> Herodium is 758 meters (2,487&nbsp;ft) above [[sea level]],<ref>{{Cite book |title=Images of the Holy Land |url= https://books.google.com/books?id=fSq-ywpQp4UC&printsec=frontcover&dq=images+of+the+holy+land&cd=1#v=onepage&q |first1=Hedva |last1=Isachar Canetti | first2=Hanan |last2=Isachar |author3=Hazel Arieli |author4=Moshe Yanai |year=2004 |isbn=9789652800855 |page=71 |publisher=Hanan Isachar Photography}}</ref> the highest peak in the [[Judaean Desert]].<ref>[http://62.90.240.156/ngedi-new/website/products/herodion-national-park/index.html Herodion National Park] {{webarchive|url=https://archive.is/20130403140549/http://62.90.240.156/ngedi-new/website/products/herodion-national-park/index.html |date=2013-04-03 }}</ref> Today, the site is managed by the [[Israel Nature and Parks Authority|Israel National Parks Authority]] and is a designated national park. Israel asserts that it is entitled to work the area under the [[Oslo Accords]], but Palestinian authorities say Israel has no right to undertake digs there or remove artifacts to Israel discovered in excavations there.<ref>{{Cite web |author=Robert Tait |url=http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/middleeast/israel/11305083/Royal-passageway-to-King-Herods-palace-discovered.html |title=Royal passageway to King Herod's palace discovered |work=[[The Daily Telegraph|The Telegraph]] |date=19 December 2014}}</ref>
an occupying Israeli military government, with military commanders in each area empowered with administrative, governmental, and legislative powers (Cavanaugh, These powers were executed through a series of Israeli military orders. ‘‘Orders codified Israel’s control of the Occupied Territories far beyond the concern of its military forces,’’ (Gordon, 2008: 31) which resulted in two of these orders directly affecting cultural heritage (nos. 1166 and 1167), well beyond the mandate of the Israeli military. pp.26-27;(8) Area C remains in the control of the Israeli Archaeological Department of the Civil Administration (ADCA). . . In an ideal world, Palestine should now be in control of the archaeological sites within its territorial boundaries. p.29; (c ) Lawfare, the strategy of using—or misusing—law in asymmetrical situations, has resulted in Israel invoking law (Israeli Military Orders, the Oslo Accords, and the UNESCO Hague Convention in Area C) to control cultural heritage in order to capitalize on potential tourism revenues and to cultivate support from varied constituencies (i.e., evangelical Christians). At the same time, Israel is concerned with controlling the histories and narratives being presented at the various sites in Palestine. Narratives at the site of Herodium concentrate solely on the life and death of the ancient King of Judea, no displays of the pre- and post-Herodian period.p.32</ref><ref name="Ziffer" >Benny Ziffer, [https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/herodium-turns-into-a-cultural-settlement.premium-1.505153 'Herodium Turns Into a Cultural Settlement,'] [[Haaretz]] 22 February 2013:' Amid the general enthusiasm, one small technical detail was almost forgotten: that the excavation was conducted on Palestinian territory. Under international conventions, an occupying power may not conduct excavations in territories under its military control, with the exception of "rescue" digs carried out to preserve an archaelogical site unintentionally brought to the surface. In the case of Herodium, where the excavations have gone on for years, there was no way of considering them rescue digs. In a report aired on Israel's Channel 2 at the time, it could be clearly seen how the excavations had disrupted the lives of residents of the Palestinian village surrounding Herodium, turning the mound into a kind of settlement - a cultural settlement - maintained by military force. The sight was shocking, because here brutality was ostensibly used for the purpose of promoting high culture, and for scientific and artistic reasons.’</ref><ref name="Forward" >Yigal Bronner and Yonathan Mizrachi, [https://forward.com/articles/173101/king-herod-long-reviled-finds-new-love-among-jewis/ 'King Herod, long reviled, finds new love among Jewish settlers,'] [[The Forward]] 19 May 2013:’ Since Herodion and Herod’s palaces in Jericho are located in the territories that Israel occupied in 1967, they are — according to international law, the codes of ethics for the preservation of antiquities, and even the Oslo Accords — supposedly under Palestinian control and responsibility. One could imagine a very different scenario. The exhibition at the Israel Museum could have been based on joint Israeli-Palestinian research, performed both in Israel and in Palestine, and, as is standard throughout the world, it could and should have loaned the artifacts from the Palestinian Antiquities Authority. Instead, the museum opted for the dominant “no partner” approach and simply appropriated tons of artifacts from West Bank sites, as if this were merely a matter of transferring Israeli property to its rightful place in the national museum. Indeed, the museum preferred to partner with the so-called “Civil Administration,” which runs the occupation of the West Bank and turned Herodion into a profitable settlement (from which Palestinians are barred). ‘</ref> by the [[Israel Nature and Parks Authority|Israel National Parks Authority]] and is a designated national park. Israel asserts that it is entitled to work the area under the [[Oslo Accords]], but Palestinian authorities say Israel has no right to undertake digs there or remove artifacts to Israel discovered in excavations there.<ref>{{Cite web |author=Robert Tait |url=http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/middleeast/israel/11305083/Royal-passageway-to-King-Herods-palace-discovered.html |title=Royal passageway to King Herod's palace discovered |work=[[The Daily Telegraph|The Telegraph]] |date=19 December 2014}}</ref>


==Etymology==
==Etymology==

Revision as of 19:26, 8 January 2018

For people named Herodion, see Herodion.
For the Roman-era theatre, see Odeon of Herodes Atticus.
Herodium
הרודיון
هيروديون
Aerial view of the acropolis of Herodium
Herodium is located in State of Palestine
Herodium
Shown within State of Palestine
Alternative nameHerodion
LocationWest Bank
RegionJudaean Desert
Coordinates31°39′57″N 35°14′29″E / 31.66583°N 35.24139°E / 31.66583; 35.24139
TypeFortification
Height758 m (2,487 ft)
History
BuilderHerod the Great
Founded22–15 BC
Abandoned71 CE and 134/5 CE
PeriodsRoman Empire
Site notes
ArchaeologistsVirgilio Canio Corbo, Stanislao Loffreda, Ehud Netzer, Roi Porat
ManagementIsrael Nature and Parks Authority[1]
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    Herodium (Latin), Herodeion (Template:Lang-grc), best known in Israel as Herodion (Template:Lang-he) and in Arabic as Jabal al-Fureidis (Template:Lang-ar, lit. "Mountain of the Little Paradise"); also Har Hordos is a truncated-cone-shaped hill, 12 kilometres (7.5 mi) south of Jerusalem and 5 kilometres (3.1 mi) southeast of Bethlehem, in the Judaean Desert, West Bank. Herod the Great built a palace fortress and a small town at Herodium, between 23 and 15 BCE, and is believed to have been buried there.[2] Herodium is 758 meters (2,487 ft) above sea level,[3] the highest peak in the Judaean Desert.[4] Today, the site is managed by the Israel National Parks Authority and is a designated national park. Israel asserts that it is entitled to work the area under the Oslo Accords, but Palestinian authorities say Israel has no right to undertake digs there or remove artifacts to Israel discovered in excavations there.[5]

    Etymology

    Herodion excavations

    Herodion is the only site that is named after King Herod the Great. It was known by the Crusaders as the "Mountain of Franks". Arab locals call it Jabal al-Fourdis ("Mountain of Paradise").[6] The Modern Hebrew name, Herodion (Template:Lang-he-n), is actually a transliteration of the Greek spelling. However, modern Israeli archaeologists have confirmed that the site’s original Hebrew name was Herodis (Template:Lang-he-n), just as this name is inscribed in one of the Bar Kokhba letters recovered from the Muraba’at Caves in the Judaean desert.[7]

    History

    Emergence

    In 40 BCE, after the Parthian conquest of Syria, Herod fled to Masada. On the way, at the location of Herodion, Herod clashed with the Parthians and emerged victorious. According to the Roman Jewish historian Josephus, he "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 Wars of the Jews I, Chapter 13).[8]

    Josephus describes Herodium as follows:

    "This fortress, which is some sixty stadia[9] distant from Jerusalem, is naturally strong and very suitable for such a structure, for reasonably nearby is a hill, raised to a (greater) 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." (The Jewish War I, 21, 10; Antiquities of the Jews XIV, chapter 13.9).

    Construction

    Archaeologists believe that the palace was built by slaves, paid workers (contractors), and architects. Herod was considered one of the greatest builders of his time and was not daunted by geography—his palace was built on the edge of the desert and was situated atop an artificial hill.[10] The largest of the four towers was built on a stone base 18 meters in diameter. This was most likely where Herod lived; he decorated his rooms with mosaic floors and elaborate frescoes. The other three towers, which consisted of living spaces and storage, were 16 meters in diameter. Outside, several cisterns were built to collect water that was channeled into the palace.

    Roman siege

    Great Revolt

    Herodium was conquered and destroyed by the Romans in 71 CE.

    Bar Kokhba's revolt

    At the beginning of the Bar Kokhba revolt sixty years later, 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. The fortress was commanded by Yeshua ben Galgula, who was likely Bar Kokhba's second in command.

    Excavation

    Section of mosaic floor unearthed at Herodion

    The archaeological excavation of Herodium was begun in 1962 by Virgilio Canio Corbo and Stanislao Loffreda, from the Studium Biblicum Franciscanum of Jerusalem, and it continued until 1967: they discovered the upper citadel, at the top of the hill.[11]

    From 1972, excavations were carried out by Ehud Netzer, working on behalf of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, and they were intermittent until the archaeologist's death in 2010. Netzer excavated mostly the lower palace, at the base of the hill.

    Herod's palace

    Main article: Herod's Palace (Herodium)
    Archaeological excavations of Herod's palace
    Northern Palace Lobby

    Herod the Great built a palace within the fortress of Herodium. Herod himself commissioned a lavish palace to be built between 23 and 15 BCE atop Herodium for all to see. The palace itself consisted of four towers of seven stories, a bathhouse, courtyards, a Roman theatre, banquet rooms, a large walkway (“the course”), as well as extravagant living quarters for himself and guests. Once Herod died and the Great Revolt started, Herodium was abandoned. The Jews eventually had a base at Herodium where they built a synagogue which can still be seen today, unlike much of Herod’s Palace.[12]

    Bathhouse

    The Roman bathhouse consisted of three areas, the caldarium, the tepidarium, and the frigidarium. It also had a very impressive dome which is still in good condition today despite thousands of years of earthquakes and wars. The caldarium had vaulted ceilings, raised floors, and channels in the walls to conduct heat. The tepidarium had mosaic floors and frescoes just like the living quarters of the palace. The frigidarium, the last stop in the bathhouse, was where guests would cool off in a large pool.

    Theatre

    Netzer discovered the Roman Theatre just before his death in late 2010. A loggia, or a theatre box, was discovered. This means that when Herod or other notable officials went to see a play, they would receive luxury treatment. The rest of the audience would be seated below on benches that could accommodate about 650 people. What is quite unique about this find is that frescoes of landscapes were discovered. This suggests that the painters were well traveled; they depict scenes of Italy and even the Nile River in Egypt. It is also assumed that the painters were on loan to Herod from Caesar in Rome.[13][14]

    Synagogue

    A pre-year-70 synagogue at Herodium is of the Galilean-type, featuring stone benches built along the walls and aisles formed by columns that supported the roof. It is one of the oldest synagogues in the Levant.[15][16]

    Tomb of Herod

    Hebrew University professor Ehud Netzer reported on 8 May 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.[17] Later excavations strengthened the idea that this site is Herod's mausoleum.[18] The base of the tomb has now been uncovered and is visible to visitors to the site.

    The 2009–2010 excavations uncovered near the tomb base a small 450-seat capacity theater with an elaborately decorated royal theater box.[19]

    Netzer died in October 2010 from injuries sustained from a fall at the site,[2] and access to the mausoleum was subsequently blocked to the public pending review of the site's safety.

    In October 2013, archaeologists Joseph Patrich and Benjamin Arubas challenged the identification of the tomb as that of Herod.[20] According to Patrich and Arubas, the tomb is too modest to be Herod's and has several unlikely features.[20][21] Roi Porat, who replaced Netzer as excavation leader after the latter's death, stood by the identification.[20]

    Panoramic view of Herodion

    In February 2013 an exhibit dedicated to Herod at the Israel Museum featured finds from among some 30 tons of material transferred from the Herodium site back into Israel.[22] The Palestinian National Authority protested,[23] and Rula Maayah, the Palestinian tourism and antiquities minister said that according to international law Israelis have no right to excavate Herodium, which is in the occupied West Bank, or to take any antiquities from it. Palestinian officials compared the exhibition to the historical plunder of archaeological treasures by former colonial powers.[24]Some Israeli commentators have argued that, such excavations of, and removal of material from, sites in the Palestinian territories go beyond what is permitted to an occupying power such as Israel.[25] One Israeli archaeologist, Yonathan Mizrachi, in an article co-written with Yigal Bronner, stated that,'Since Herodion and Herod’s palaces in Jericho are located in the territories that Israel occupied in 1967, they are — according to international law, the codes of ethics for the preservation of antiquities, and even the Oslo Accords — supposedly under Palestinian control and responsibility.'[22] The Israel Museum's director , James S. Snyder initially stated that the items from Herodium would be returned to the West Bank after the exhibition, "in better condition than before",[26] but later clarified that this did not mean the artifacts would be returned to the Palestinians after the exhibition.[27]The site is in Area C, a term used to describe 60% of the West Bank that has been kept under full Israeli control since the 1993 Oslo Accords.[26][28] The Israel Museum cited the Oslo Accords as giving Israel a right to perform archaeology in the territories and said they will return it to the West Bank when the exhibition has ended.[29] In analyzing the controversy, Morag Kersel states that the site is regulated by Israeli military orders, the JordanianTemporary Law no. 51, 1966, and the Oslo Accords. According to the provisions of the Oslo II Accord, archaeological issues of common interest would be handled by a joint Israel-Palestinian committee. Few if any of these agreements have been implemented, and Palestinians have not been consulted or asked to collaborate in the work at the site.[30]

    Films

    • Herod's Lost Tomb (2008; National Geographic Society), in addition to examining Netzer's purported find of Herod's tomb, the palace and most of Herod's other large projects are reconstructed in CGI.
    • "Finding Jesus: Faith, Fact, Forgery: Season 2, Episode 4: The tomb of Herod" (2017; CNN), the episode unpacks the epic story of the client king of Judea.

    See also

    References

    1. ^ Herodium (Herodion) National Park Archived 2016-04-04 at the Wayback Machine
    2. ^ a b "Israeli archaeologist dies after fall at King Herod dig". BBC. 2010-10-29. Retrieved 2014-12-17.
    3. ^ Isachar Canetti, Hedva; Isachar, Hanan; Hazel Arieli; Moshe Yanai (2004). Images of the Holy Land. Hanan Isachar Photography. p. 71. ISBN 9789652800855.
    4. ^ Herodion National Park Archived 2013-04-03 at archive.today
    5. ^ Robert Tait (19 December 2014). "Royal passageway to King Herod's palace discovered". The Telegraph.
    6. ^ Guérin, Victor. "Description de la Palestine (Description of Palestine)". L'imprimerie Impériale: Paris 1869, pp. 125–132.
    7. ^ Roland de Vaux, Discoveries in the Judaean Desert, vol. 2, Oxford 1961, pp. 126, 130-131
    8. ^ "Herodion". Retrieved 17 December 2014.
    9. ^ 60 stadia is about 11.1 kilometres (6.9 mi). The actual distance is slightly more—12.5 kilometres (7.8 mi)
    10. ^ Mueller, Tom (December 2008). "Herod: The Holy Land's Visionary Builder". National Geographic.
    11. ^ Virginio Canio Corbo, Herodion. I: Gli edifici della reggia-fortezza, Jerusalem 1989
    12. ^ "Herodium – King Herod's Palace-Fortress". Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Retrieved 17 November 2011.
    13. ^ Milstein, Mati. "Luxury Box Seating". Archaeological Institute of America. Retrieved 17 November 2011.
    14. ^ Magness, Jodi (2001). "Where Is Herod's Tomb At Herodium?". Bulletin of the American Schools of Oriental Research: 43.
    15. ^ Jacqueline Schaalje. "Herodion". Its date, of the first century CE, makes it one of the oldest synagogues in Israel
    16. ^ "Archaeologist Netzer dies after fall during excavation". The Jerusalem Post - JPost.com. Retrieved 17 December 2014.
    17. ^ Kraft, Dina (May 9, 2007). "Archaeologist Says Remnants of King Herod's Tomb Are Found". The New York Times. Retrieved 2010-06-14.
    18. ^ "New Excavations Strengthen Identification Of Herod's Grave At Herodium". ScienceDaily. 19 November 2008. Retrieved 2008-11-19.
    19. ^ "Royal theater box at the Herodium". Ferrell's Travel Blog. Retrieved 17 December 2014.
    20. ^ a b c Nir Hasson (October 11, 2013). "Archaeological stunner: Not Herod's Tomb after all?". Haaretz.
    21. ^ Joseph Patrich and Benjamin Arubas (2015). "Revisiting the Mausoleum at Herodium: Is it Herod's Tomb?". Palestine Exploration Quarterly. 147 (4): 299–315.
    22. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference Forward was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
    23. ^ Morag M. Kersel, 'Fractured oversight: The ABCs of cultural heritage in Palestine after the Oslo Accords,' Journal of Social Archaeology, Vol. 15(1) 2014 pp.24–44, p.25.
    24. ^ Israel looting West Bank's treasures (The Daily Star, Al Jazeera, March 2, 2013)
    25. ^ Cite error: The named reference Ziffer was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
    26. ^ a b Yolande Knell. "Modern politics overshadows Israel's historic Herod exhibit". BBC. Retrieved October 13, 2013.
    27. ^ Morag M. Kersel p.38
    28. ^ "Holy Land excavation digs into Mideast rifts". AFP. Archived from the original on February 2, 2014. Retrieved October 13, 2013. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
    29. ^ Rudoren, Jodi. NY Times, 13 Feb 2013, Anger That a Herod Show Uses West Bank Objects
    30. ^ Kersel p.29
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