Cypros
Well-Known Member
This has been one of the great mysteries for those of us studying this time period in the ancient Near East. Herodium has long been believed to be the site of Herod's tomb due to the description of his funeral procession by the historian Josephus. However, ancient texts are often unreliable and decades of excavation on the site (located near Bethlehem and inside Palestinian territory) turned up no sign of a tomb. Unfortunately, it sounds like the tomb was badly desecrated in antiquity and there is little left. No inscription has been found that specifically identifies it as Herod's so some question remains. It is possible that it is the tomb of his mother (of Arab nobility) or one of his queens. Perhaps there's more than one tomb!
http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/856784.html
This discovery is especially exciting for me since I have studied the site of Herodium in my research and visited the site a couple of times since it is has features that are similar to my own site in Jordan. The last time I was there (1998) I was wandering the site and Ehud Netzer showed up. He was very gracious to answer my questions and came to visit our dig a few years later. I am very happy for Ehud because I know that he has spent his career excavating and documenting the site (often under very difficult conditions) and he was always sure the tomb would be there. He is nearing retirement so this is a perfect finale.
Here is a better photo of Herodium. The main palace is inside the artificial mountain that Herod had constructed for defensive purposes. At the base of the mountain is a secondary palace complex with a huge swimming pool and garden terrace. The reports say that the tomb is located between the two palaces so I am guessing it is somewhere on the slope.
http://www.friendlyplanet.com/images/herodium-fortress-and-pool.jpg
http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/856784.html
This discovery is especially exciting for me since I have studied the site of Herodium in my research and visited the site a couple of times since it is has features that are similar to my own site in Jordan. The last time I was there (1998) I was wandering the site and Ehud Netzer showed up. He was very gracious to answer my questions and came to visit our dig a few years later. I am very happy for Ehud because I know that he has spent his career excavating and documenting the site (often under very difficult conditions) and he was always sure the tomb would be there. He is nearing retirement so this is a perfect finale.
Here is a better photo of Herodium. The main palace is inside the artificial mountain that Herod had constructed for defensive purposes. At the base of the mountain is a secondary palace complex with a huge swimming pool and garden terrace. The reports say that the tomb is located between the two palaces so I am guessing it is somewhere on the slope.
http://www.friendlyplanet.com/images/herodium-fortress-and-pool.jpg