Herod the Great

Posted by Eric and Colleen

For the 4 weeks that we have been here in Jerusalem, we have learned the lay of the land by walking it. I have discovered that its not only great getting to see these wonderful ruins and places of the Holy Land but getting to them is definitely 1/2 the enjoyment. On our walks tour busses, taxis and sharuts (shared taxies) all race past us to their next destination. By walking the city, we have begun to appreciate what it meant for all those who came before us so many years ago. Getting somewhere was no easy task for them but we have the advantage of nicely paved streets (usually) and even staircases (usually).

The Herodian

Herod The Great was anything but good. He was a man plagued with paranoia and greed. However, a book, titled Herod the Great Builder accurately reflects his astonishing, unparalleled greatness in architectural achievements.  One such achievement was the Herodian (aka Herodyom, aka Herodium), which we visited the other day. How to Get There? (click for a live map) About 10 miles away, the Herodian is not exactly in walking distance, and it requires crossing into Palestinian territory, so our journey began with a walk to the Damascus Gate on the north side of Old City. This Gate is predominantly an Arab passageway so you get a little different cultural experience than the Zion and Jaffa gates—gates we typically enter through. It is also the gate where you can catch a sharut, taxi or bus for an out-of-town excursion. Because there are five of us, a taxi would be a pretty crowded ride so we moved on to  the sharuts. However a gentleman approached us and offered to drive us there himself in his SUV. In our negotiations with him, he reminded us that the sharuts would not be able to take us through Bethlehem to the Herodian because the Israelis are not allowed in Bethlehem. Since he was Arab, he would be able to take us without any trouble. So for 400NIS, we got a ride to the  Herodian and a ride back. He waited 1.5 hours for us as Eric showed and taught us what he had learned from his field study here a few days before. As we left Jerusalem, it wasn’t long before we could see the Herodian in the distance. It is the largest peak around—considering the number of peaks, that’s saying a lot. It looks like a volcano as you approach because the top is flat.  There would have originally been 4 towers peaking another 60 feet above. On our previous trip east toward Jericho we saw the Bedouin tent cities and an occasional camel. Driving south out of Jerusalem, we saw sheep, goats, olive groves and a few men riding donkeys which appeared weighted down with all his goods. The olive groves were planted among the naturally terraced hillsides in this part of Israel. Just before arriving at the base of the Herodian, there was a red sign forbidding Israeli entry, though we turned left avoiding that road, it highlighted the tensions of the area, the reason for an Arab driver.  Click on the picture below to see the naturally terraced landscape of the hills.

Herod the Horrible Lived: 74BC – 4BC 164BC Hasmonean Dynasty Starts The Hasmoneans (aka Maccabean) dynasty begins 99 years of autonomy of the Jewish people. One of the hallmarks of Hasmonean rule was their forced conversion of the inhabitants of the land to Judaism (requiring the male participants to be circumcised, ouch).   140-130BC Capture of Idumea Hasmonean ruler John Hyrcanus captured the Idumean region of Palestine (South-West). The Idumeans were descendants of the Edomites who had been pushed out of Edom (East of the Jordan, south of Dead Sea) early by previous Roman conquest. The Edomites were descendants of Esau. Thus the Idumeans were distant cousins of the Israelites.   The grandfather of Herod was one of the converts to Judaism. The father of Herod (Antipater the Idumean) was then a second generation convert. . 63BC – Roman Capture In 63BC, when Herod was 11, Rome’s Pompeii captured Palestine, thus ending the 99 years of autonomy the Jewish people had enjoyed under the Hasmonean dynasty.    49BC – Herod as Governor of Galilee At the age of 25, Herod was appointed as Governor of the region of Galilee, his older brother Phasael as governor of Jerusalem. 40BC – Recapture of Jerusalem Antigonus II Mattathias (son of Aristobulus II, the king of the Macabees when Pompeii came), recaptured Jerusalem with the help of the Parthians.   Herod fled to Rome. Convinced Rome to name him King of Judea.   Herod marries the teenage niece of Antigonus, Mariamne, as an attempt to secure in the Jewish mind a rightful place on the throne. Herod was already married to Doris, so he had her and their 3 year old Antipater banished. Nice guy. 37BC – Herod Takes back Jerusalem After capturing Jerusalem, Herod turned Antigonus over to Mark Anthony who had him beheaded, thus ending forever the Hasmonean dynasty, and starting the Herodian dynasty.   29BC – Mariamne Executed Herod accuses his wife of adultery, likely trumped up charges. Her own mother, Alexandra witnesses against her. When Mariamne was executed, Alexandra names herself as queen declaring Herod as mentally unfit to rule. Herod had her executed without a trial.   28BC –Brother-in-law Executed   23BC-9BC Building Projects ·      27 Samaria rebuilt, named Sebaste ·      23 Palaces in Jerusalem & the Herodian ·      22 Starts Caesarea Maritima ·      20 Begins expansion of the Temple Mount and Second Temple ·      10 Temple Inaugurated (not completed) ·      9 Caesarea Maritima Inaugurated   7-4BC Survival ·      7 Had his sons by Mariamne executed fearing their uprising. ·      4 Had his son Antipater executed ·      Infanticide of all 2 year-olds in Bethlehem   4BC Herod Dies Given how well hated he was, Herod’s greatest accomplishment was dying of old age.

 

Approaching the Herodian (click)	The Herodian was a double palace.  The lower palace (the columns in the picture left) was at the base of the hill.
	Aerial view of the Herodian. (Photo courtesy www.bible-lands.net)
	The higher palace/fort was built into the top of the hill. (Illustration courtesy www.bible-lands.net)

 

A Brief History of the Herodian

Built in 23 BC by Herod as a Palace / Fort controlling an important northward route into Jerusalem.  During the first Jewish revolt the Jews captured it in 70AD and held it until 73 when it was retaken by the Romans and largely destroyed. During this occupation a synagogue and Jewish ritual baths were built. Around 132 during the Jewish Bar Kokhba revolt the Jews once more captured the mound.  During this time they dug numerous escape routes and hide-out tunnels within.

	Today, none of the remains protrude above the hill line.  Here you can get a small sense of the magnitude, by the size of the people half way up the hill. Where the people are walking is approximately where the natural hill stops and the artificial hill begins. The Herodian was quite impressive. This was not just a hill that Herod fortified, he actually built most of the hill, raising an existing small hill using the rocks and dirt from an adjacent hill that was previously considerably higher than the Herodian.
	Within in the walls, there was a synagogue, Raman baths (cold, warm and hot), cisterns, living quarters, courtyard, etc.
	I was most impressed as we descended many floors below the surface through tunnels and cisterns used first by the Romans, then the Jews during the occupation of the Maccabean revolt, again by the Romans, and finally extended by the Jews during the Bar Kokhba revolt. The cisterns were unbelievable and the tunnels extensive.
	The Historian Josephus recorded that Herod was buried here, but since the 1940’s numerous excavations have not found any signs of a tomb.  Then, in 2007 it was finally located. As you can see by the man lowering himself by a rope, the tomb is still being excavated but we got to see some of the progress.
	The precision of the tomb’s cut stones was impressive.
	Celine, Colleen and Eric all took pictures of the excavation. We certainly will not return home short of pictures.  The challenge is to remember what they are. We have little time to label all of them.
	The soft chalky stones of the palace were originally plastered over with a faux impression of larger solid stones imprinted on the plaster. And you thought faux was a 1990’s thing.
	A view from the top behind the girls, looking down at the lower palace.  You can see the pool just left of Celine’s (middle) head.
	Another view of the lower palace with an idea of the climbs we are taking routinely.
	The original entrance to the palace now mostly covered by debris.
	Ancient toilet.
	Tally evidently couldn’t wait.
	…neither could Lillian. Celine used the facilities at the bottom of the hill. : )
	How would you like to look up to see one of these coming at you down the hill? These round “stones” were used by the Hasmoneans to fend off the Romans who were charging the hill. Simple, yet effective—and just cool to see.

 

Herod the Not So Great
 

There is no doubt that the architectural accomplishments of Herod are astounding, likely the greatest achievements of any one person in the history of mankind. The Herodian itself is a fine example of the magnitude of these achievements, having essentially moved a mountain to create another, more grandiose mountain.

“Regular” people are not able to accomplish so much in a lifetime. Herod was not, however a regular person – history bears this out. His maniacal, or worse yet, megalomaniacal nature can be seen in the brutal acts he did in the name of maintaining his throne – murdering his own wife and children, and all the babies of the entire village of Bethlehem are stark reminders of his character. It is as if Herod thought he could live forever, for why else would he murder his own progeny in order to prevent them from dethroning him?

Yet, all his measures to protect himself proved quite empty. Today nothing remains of Herod himself – even his tomb appears to have been destroyed. The poor guy couldn’t even preserve his dead body, let alone remain alive. But even more telling is the subtle irony seen in the picture above. The photo is an enlargement of the old, lower palace as seen from the top of the very impressive remains of the Herodian. These grounds themselves appear to portray a quite impressive establishment. But look closely at what is now being dumped onto what was once a part of Herod’s amazing palace – yes, that’s right, garbage from a local “modern” house. Someone who now lives in what appears to be near squalor over top of what used to be undoubtedly a quite impressive royal palace is throwing their trash into Herod’s former back yard. The King of the Jews couldn’t manage to stay alive any better than he could keep a quite poor person (at-least in comparison to Herod’s fortunes) from throwing their trash onto his old house.

Down the street a “nobody” was born in a very simple place – a birth place not really well suited for any person, certainly not that of a king. This “nobody” grew up the son of poor parents, not in a palace, or a fortress. He had nothing fanciful to hold over people as an adult. But this humble one who actually could have preserved his life chose not to, instead he died for the sins of the world, and as a result of this great sacrifice the world can benefit. Believers in Jesus Christ, the King of Kings, have a room with a view waiting for them in heaven, a place so wonderful that even the “trash” is better than the best riches of earth. Herod was a king determined to be known, and to preserve his life. Jesus was a man determined to give his life for all who know Him as their savior.

Which is greater? The way of the cross is crazy in how it reverses things…

Poster Contest Winners

Category: Most Creative

Winner: Copeland Hemauer

(Click for a larger image)

Judges Reponses:

Eric: Superb perspective, love it.  Especially love that Tally is facing the opposite direction, like she’s distracted, staring at the guy taking the trash out – that’s so Tally. The people in different poses is so creative—like Copeland is here seeing it herself.

Colleen: The number of people on the streets is so representative of here … there are always people out. The cats in different poses is wonderful. Very artistic.

Tally: I like the different cats and how there are so many people. I like the guy taking out the garbage and the cat trying to get it. I also like the cat trying to lick the cat.

Celine: I like all the cats, especially the cat under the tree. I like how Lillian’s pulling dad and how Tally and I are yawning.

Lillian: I like all the cats and all the humans.

 

Category: Most Authentic

Winner: Kaitlyn Hemauer

 
(Click for a larger image)

Judges Reponses:

Eric: Love the house.  It looks so much like many of the buildings around here.  The smiling sun and the clouds are a wonderful touch.

Colleen: It represents the stone buildings very well, and its very sunny in Jerusalem. Great job.

Tally: I like how everyone’s a different size – you got the proportions correct.  The window is awesome, and the ground color.

Celine: I like the big house and the smiley face on the sun and the big tall window thing.

Lillian: I like the house and the clouds and the sun and the humans and my name and of-course the window and I like the “age 8" … that’s all.

SUPER JOB GUYS! 

We’re loving it!

A Special Israeli gift is your well-deserved reward.

The Lord Our Rock and Living Water

Modern building codes in Jerusalem stipulate that all structures must be either built with or given a facade of Limestone. As we walk around the city we are surrounded by the stuff – sidewalks are lined with it, small buildings, hotels, large apartment buildings, literally every structure we see is made to look like its coming right up out of the limestone foundation its built on.  Until modern times, this was the primary, almost exclusive building material used as well reflected in the many ruins we’ve seen. This means, of-course that the buildings of David’s day were constructed the same way, as were those of his son Solomon, including the temple, palaces, tombs and everything else. 

Its no wonder than that David, who was quite familiar with stones, writes the following:

“I love  you, Lord, my source of strength! 
The Lord is my high ridge, my stronghold, my deliverer.
My God is my rocky summit where I take shelter,
my shield, the horn that saves me, ¹³ and my refuge.
I called to the Lord, who is worthy of praise,
and I was delivered from my enemies.

 

Nearly all the structures I’ll show you below are from well after David, but they all carry the limestone theme.  In some ways many of the structures – their very existence or purpose -- reflect an attitude that finds its security not the Rock of ages but in the rock of the hills.

Click for larger view.	The Old City walls of Jerusalem on the Western Side, south of the Jaffa Gate. Notice the different looking stones. The newest on top are from the Turkish empire, ca 700AD.  Bottom left there are two layers of stones, one from the Ottoman, ca 400AD, and another from the Hasmonean, ca. 200 BC.
	The Board Wall (8th C BC, its purpose is described below.) It is very difficult to appreciate the immensity of the wall from the picture, but it’s huge –approximately 30’ across (yes, that’s feet).
	The Board wall is not all there anymore.  It used to be considerably higher.  It’s estimated that it was almost to the top of that sign that’s on the wall behind it. That would make it 24’ tall.  That’s a Sturdy Wall! Now, read about the wall’s purpose below.

 

The Board Wall

King Hezekiah of Judah was on the throne in 720 when Assyria’s Sargon came and took the northern tribes of Israel away as part of his bid to take over the world.  Israel and Judah along with many other small nation states in the region were like paddle boats in the ocean while the tidal wave Assyria sweeps through on its way to power house Egypt.  Swoosh, Israel was gone.  As the wave approached from the North it would have led throngs to head south in safety and ultimately led to a population surge in Jerusalem. 

When Sargon died and before his son Sennacherib regained the effort in Judah, Hezekiah saw the pause as an opportunity to fortify and make a stand against the world power.  It is at this time, the Bible tells us that Hezekiah ceased to pay his tribute tax to Assyria. Apparently it is believed, that the city walls from Solomon and David’s days were also now expanded.  

In the North end of the new wall there is short dipping valley that would present weak point, thus the “Broad Wall” was created.  This section of the wall was built to protect against a breach at this dip in the elevation by making it especially thick and tall.

In 701 Sennacherib besieged the city. The event is recorded in some detail in the Bible (as well as in extent Assyrian documents).   In this story, Assyrians sent the Rabshekeh (“chief of the princes”) to the wall to taunt Hezekiah and the people not to trust in Yahweh.  Bad idea… the angel of the Lord killed 185,000 Assyrians and Judah was spared (for a few more years until in 586 Babylon takes them).

The wall wasn’t the only of Hezekiah’s efforts to save his city.  He also had tunnels dug (expanded) outside the city to waters outside the city at the Pool of Siloam (pictures below).

The Bible speaks mostly favorably of Hezekiah.  It seems to be his prayer that saved him in the end though. Walls and tunnels only go so far when you’re a paddle boat in the ocean, after all.  "Then Isaiah the son of Amoz sent to Hezekiah, saying, Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, That which thou hast prayed to me against Sennacherib king of Assyria I have heard.”

 

Solomon’s City
This is the approximate extent of the city in the time of Solomon.  The picture doesn’t adequately give you a feel for the drop in elevation.  In the next pictures, we’re standing a little to the right of the “C”, looking down the valley to the spot that is far left on this illustration.  To get the proper orientation, visualize standing at “C” and looking to the left spot.

	Aerial photo highlighting the same area.  What is far left above is now at the bottom, “D” above is in the far back.
	Artists representation of the same area in the time of David.
	Standing on the “Ramparts” looking out at the valley below the currently walled city.
	Fellow students up on the rampart.
	View of the Kidron Valley below south end of the city, as viewed from the ramparts.
	Same picture as above, but cropped to the center. I’m zooming in on the Pool of Siloam. See next picture.
	The Edge of the Pool of Siloam can just be seen here, to the left of the tall tree in the center (see next picture). The tree if far left on the illustration above.
	Again, the same picture, just cropped to highlight where the pool was.  The excavation of the pool is just behind this tree.
	Taking steps down into the tunnel that Hezekiah built to bring water from the Pool of Siloam into the city.
	Approaching the tunnel.
	We actually didn’t go through Hezekiah’s tunnel (though you can), instead we took a higher (in elevation) tunnel that’s from the age of Abraham (2000BC)! Hezekiah’s tunnel is still wet and sometimes waste deep, long and completely unlit.
	Walking on what was the steps leading to the Pool of Siloam.  This was only discovered a few years ago when reconstruction of the road that used to be above this was started.
	Artist’s rendering of the pool as it was. The picture above is represented in the steps behind Tally on the left side going back in perspective.
	Aerial of the surrounding area.  Notice the color of every building you see is white limestone.  The Dome of the Rock and a few church steeples are the few exceptions.
	A tool for moving large stones.

 

Impressive Stone Structure

Hezekiah had his building projects to protect his people.  In the end he was spared, as was his generation, but in 586 Babylon came Jerusalem was ransacked, Judah taken captive.  After 70 years, Babylon lost power to the Persians who had a more tolerant policy and allowed the Judeans to return to their land.  So, under the leadership of Zerubabbel, Ezra and Nehemiah, a few of the people did just that.  Zerubabbel built a new, smaller temple where the old one once stood, and Nehemiah put up new walls (he mentions building them as far as the “Broad Wall”, mentioned above).

Shortly thereafter the Greeks came into town on their way to take over the world.  They quickly gained control of Judah.  Some time later, there was a revolt by the Jewish people against the Greeks known as the Maccabean revolt.  Antiochus, the Greek ruler had issued a decree forbidding the Jewish people from worshipping which sparked the revolt in 165.  The Maccabees gained power and ruled with autonomy from 164 to 63BC. There are many ruins from this period in Jerusalem (and elsewhere), including many portions of the Old City walls.

Now, enter the Romans.  The new international powerhouse came to dominate things and in 63 grabbed Judea.  Rome placed Herod the Great on the throne in 37BC and things began to get interesting. Herod may be the most ambitious and successful “architect” of all history.  He built numerous buildings and structures that are each absolutely amazing (see the Herodium in the next blog for a stunning example).   One of those structures, made of-course of limestone, is the Temple and temple mount.

	The Temple Mount, still very much in tact today was built by Herod.  Notice on the map the notation for the “Pool of Siloam” in the bottom right. The City Walls as shown here are the present day walls, built in 700AD by the Turks.  In David’s day, they would have been much narrower, but extended much more south (bottom right corner) to just short of the Pool of Siloam.
	Artist rendering of the south west retaining wall of the temple mount build by King Herod at the time of Christ. On the map above, this would be the bottom left corner of the white squared in “Temple Mount” area that today includes the dome of the rock.  This corner is just north of the “Dung Gate” in the map above.
	This is the actual remains of the wall today, same corner as illustrated above. It’s absolutely massive.
	In the picture, notice what is today a window, at the very top, to the left of Tally. Below that jutting out of the wall is where the aching stepped structure would have attached, and people would have entered. It’s really large.
	Same wall, just viewed from further left, looking toward the same corner.
	Notice the little doorways in the golden section of the bottom of  the arch, and the four cubicles inside.
	This is one of those cubicles.  Look at the illustration above again and then the picture of the wall. This should give you a small idea of the magnitude of this structure. Some of the stones to build the retaining wall are 400 tons.

 

More Stones

Just outside the Eastern retaining wall are a set of 15 steps leading up to the temple mount.   It is likely the 15 steps of ascent, one for each of the psalms of ascent sung on the way up the temple mount. 

There’s reason to believe that Paul would have received some of his seminary training on these steps (much as I did on this day). It is quite likely that Jesus spoke from the steps. From these steps you can see below to the bottom edge of the city of David, the Pool of Siloam, to the east you see the tombs on the Mt of Olives (many of which were there in Jesus day as well), and behind you is the massive temple mount of Herod.  It would have been a great gathering place with many people.

Jesus preached about a life that is full, a life that is new or from above (John 3), a life that is eternal and available to all who will accept the free gift of it.  Herod built a great structure that took over 60 years to build, Jesus spoke of being able to rebuild it in 3 days if it were destroyed. Of-course he spoke not of the temple but His body—offered so that we could have that life He promised.  Life, safety and protection do not come from limestone structures, for no matter how big they are, they will never give life – it’s not what rocks do, after all.