Hasmonean Winter Palaces at Jericho
Royal estate with swimming pools and ritual baths where the Hasmonean kings wintered
Found 1973 — Ehud Netzer (Hebrew University), 1973–87 and later seasons, following earlier work by Kelso and Baramki (1950) and Pritchard (1951)
Where Tulul Abu el-Alayiq, west of Jericho (West Bank (Palestinian Territories))
Dates from c. 120–31 BCE (Hasmonean phases); rebuilt by Herod · Hasmonean to Herodian · Reigns of John Hyrcanus, Alexander Jannaeus and Salome Alexandra
Now at In situ near Jericho; finds in the Israel Museum and the Staff Officer for Archaeology collections
How Hasmonean Winter Palaces at Jericho was found
Netzer traced a sequence of palaces, pools and gardens at Tulul Abu el-Alayiq where Wadi Qelt enters the Jericho oasis, identifying the Hasmonean complex beneath Herod's.
What it is
A complex of mud-brick and stone palaces built by John Hyrcanus and enlarged by Jannaeus, with two large swimming pools, colonnaded gardens, bathhouses, many stepped ritual baths (mikva'ot) and a fortified 'twin palace' built by Salome Alexandra for her sons. Aqueducts brought water from the springs of Wadi Qelt.
Why it matters for the Bible
This is the best-preserved royal home of the Maccabean dynasty and shows the family's dual life: Greek-style pools and gardens alongside strict Jewish ritual baths. The pool is where Herod later had the young high priest Aristobulus III drowned (Josephus). It illustrates the wealth and Hellenization that the book of Daniel's 'time of the end' visions and the Qumran texts both criticized, and gives the setting for Jericho as a royal winter city in the Gospels.
The Hebrew word: mik-VEH
מִקְוֶה
מִקְוֶה is pronounced mik-VEH and means gathering of water; a ritual immersion pool (Strong's H4723).
People this discovery connects to
- Alexander Jannaeus — יְהוֹנָתָן (ye-ho-nah-TAHN) — YHVH has given
Places
- Jericho — יְרִיחוֹ (ye-ree-CHO) — place of fragrance / moon city
Events
Hasmonean rule of Judea · Herod's takeover of the Hasmonean estates
Hasmonean Winter Palaces at Jericho in Scripture
Numbers 22:1 First mention of Jericho in Scripture.
Luke 19:1 Yeshua enters Jericho, a royal winter city with palaces and estates in his day.
1 Maccabees 16:11-16 Simon Maccabeus and two sons are murdered at a banquet in a fortress near Jericho built by his son-in-law Ptolemy; the palaces show Hasmonean Jericho.
Questions people ask
What is Hasmonean Winter Palaces at Jericho?
A complex of mud-brick and stone palaces built by John Hyrcanus and enlarged by Jannaeus, with two large swimming pools, colonnaded gardens, bathhouses, many stepped ritual baths (mikva'ot) and a fortified 'twin palace' built by Salome Alexandra for her sons. Aqueducts brought water from the springs of Wadi Qelt.
When was Hasmonean Winter Palaces at Jericho discovered?
It was found in 1973 by Ehud Netzer (Hebrew University), 1973–87 and later seasons, following earlier work by Kelso and Baramki (1950) and Pritchard (1951), at Tulul Abu el-Alayiq, west of Jericho.
Where is Hasmonean Winter Palaces at Jericho today?
In situ near Jericho; finds in the Israel Museum and the Staff Officer for Archaeology collections.
Which Bible verses does Hasmonean Winter Palaces at Jericho relate to?
Numbers 22:1, Luke 19:1, 1 Maccabees 16:11-16.
Related discoveries
- אַרְמוֹןHerod's Winter Palaces at JerichoThree palace complexes by Wadi Qelt, where Herod died and near where Yeshua met Zacchaeus
- חֶבֶר הַיְּהוּדִיםHasmonean Coins of John Hyrcanus and Alexander JannaeusThe bronze prutot of the Maccabean priest-kings, with 'Yehohanan the High Priest' and Jannaeus's anchor and star
- פְּרוּטָהThe Widow's Mite (Bronze Prutah / Lepton)The smallest coins in circulation — Hasmonean and Herodian bronze leptons
- מְנוֹרָהMenorah Coin of Mattathias AntigonusThe last Hasmonean king's bronze coin, the earliest known picture of the Temple menorah
- קֶבֶרHorbat Ha-Gardi ('Tomb of the Maccabees')The monumental structure near Modi'in long claimed as the Maccabees' family tomb, re-excavated in 2015
- אַמַּת הַמַּיִםThe Hasmonean Water ChannelA rock-cut aqueduct under the Western Wall Tunnels that Herod's Temple Mount cut in two
Sources
- Netzer, Hasmonean and Herodian Palaces at Jericho, Final Reports I–V (2001–2013)
- Wikipedia: Hasmonean royal winter palaces
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