Herodium and Herod's Tomb
Herod's artificial mountain palace-fortress and the mausoleum found in 2007
Found 2007 — Ehud Netzer (Hebrew University); site excavated since 1962 (Virgilio Corbo) and 1972 (Netzer)
Where Herodium (Jabal al-Fureidis), Judean Desert, 12 km south of Jerusalem (West Bank (Palestinian Territories; Israeli-administered national park))
Dates from c. 23 BCE–71 CE · Early Roman (Herodian) · Reign of Herod the Great; birth of Yeshua
Now at Herodium National Park; reconstructed sarcophagus displayed at the Israel Museum, Jerusalem
How Herodium and Herod's Tomb was found
After 35 years of searching, Netzer's team found the mausoleum's podium and a smashed reddish limestone sarcophagus on the hill's northeast slope on 8 May 2007. Netzer died in a fall at the site in 2010; Roi Porat continued the work.
What it is
A cone-shaped hill that Herod raised artificially around a circular palace-fortress, with a lower palace, pool and gardens at its foot. The 2007 finds include a 25-meter-high mausoleum podium, a monumental staircase, a small theater with a royal box, and three sarcophagi, one a decorated reddish stone coffin smashed into hundreds of pieces.
Why it matters for the Bible
Josephus says Herod was buried at Herodium, and the discovery fits his account. It shows the wealth and building ambition of the king who ruled when Yeshua was born and who, in Matthew 2, ordered the killing of the children of Bethlehem, only a few kilometers away. Some scholars (Patrich and Arubas, 2013) argue the tomb is too modest for Herod; the excavators disagree.
The Hebrew word: MEH-lech
מֶלֶךְ
מֶלֶךְ is pronounced MEH-lech and means king — the title Herod held by Rome's grant, not by descent from David (Strong's H4428).
People this discovery connects to
- Herod the Great — הוֹרְדוֹס (Hor-DOS) — Greek Herodes (G2264); king of Judea 37–4 BCE
Places
- Bethlehem — בֵּית לֶחֶם (Beit LEH-chem) — house of bread
Events
Visit of the Magi and Herod's fear (Matthew 2) · Killing of the children of Bethlehem · Death of Herod (4 BCE)
Herodium and Herod's Tomb in Scripture
Matthew 2:1-3 Names Herod as king when Yeshua was born; Herodium overlooks Bethlehem from the southeast. (First mention of Herod.)
Matthew 2:16 Herod's order against Bethlehem's children; his tomb lies within sight of the town.
Matthew 2:19-20 Herod's death, which Josephus says ended with a funeral procession to Herodium.
Questions people ask
What is Herodium and Herod's Tomb?
A cone-shaped hill that Herod raised artificially around a circular palace-fortress, with a lower palace, pool and gardens at its foot. The 2007 finds include a 25-meter-high mausoleum podium, a monumental staircase, a small theater with a royal box, and three sarcophagi, one a decorated reddish stone coffin smashed into hundreds of pieces.
When was Herodium and Herod's Tomb discovered?
It was found in 2007 by Ehud Netzer (Hebrew University); site excavated since 1962 (Virgilio Corbo) and 1972 (Netzer), at Herodium (Jabal al-Fureidis), Judean Desert, 12 km south of Jerusalem.
Where is Herodium and Herod's Tomb today?
Herodium National Park; reconstructed sarcophagus displayed at the Israel Museum, Jerusalem.
Which Bible verses does Herodium and Herod's Tomb relate to?
Matthew 2:1-3, Matthew 2:16, Matthew 2:19-20.
Is Herodium and Herod's Tomb authentic?
The site and its Herodian date are secure. Whether the 2007 mausoleum is Herod's own tomb is accepted by most but challenged by Patrich and Arubas.
Related discoveries
- אַרְמוֹןHerod's Winter Palaces at JerichoThree palace complexes by Wadi Qelt, where Herod died and near where Yeshua met Zacchaeus
- הַר הַבַּיִתHerodian Western Wall and Temple Mount PlatformThe retaining walls of Herod's expanded Temple enclosure
- מְצוּדָהMasadaHerod's cliff-top palace-fortress and the last stand of the Jewish revolt in 73/74 CE
- בֵּית הַמִּשְׁפָּטHerod's Jerusalem Palace and the Kishle ExcavationThe western-hill palace that most scholars now identify as Pilate's praetorium
- טַבַּעַתThe 'Pilate' Ring from HerodiumCopper-alloy ring reading 'of Pilatus' in Greek, found 1968–69 and read in 2018
- גֹּלֶלRolling-Stone Tombs: Herod's Family Tomb and the Tomb of the KingsElite Jerusalem tombs sealed by great round stones, like the tomb in the Gospels
Sources
- Netzer, Porat, Kalman & Chachy, Herodium excavation reports (Hebrew University, 2007–2013)
- Wikipedia: Tomb of Herod
- Biblical Archaeology Society: Herod the Great — The King's Final Journey (Israel Museum exhibit, 2013)