Herodium: Unique Entry Emerges

March 24, 2015

Archaeologists from The Hebrew University of Jerusalem’s Institute of Archaeology have discovered a monumental entryway to the Herodian hilltop palace. The main feature of the entryway is an impressive corridor with a complex system of arches spanning its width on three separate levels. These arches buttressed the corridor’s massive side-walls, allowing the King and his entourage direct passage into the palace courtyard. Thanks to the supporting arches, the 20-meter [66 ft] long and 6-meter [20 ft] wide corridor has been preserved to a height of 20 meters.

Surprisingly, during the course of the excavations, it became evident that the arched corridor was never actually in use, as prior to its completion it became redundant. This appears to have happened when Herod, aware of his impending death, decided to convert the whole hilltop complex into a massive memorial mound, a royal burial monument on an epic scale.

The corridor was back-filled during the construction of the massive artificial hill at the end of Herod’s reign. During the course of the current excavations, the original impressive palace vestibule, blocked when the corridor became redundant, was also exposed. This entry room, decorated with splendid painted frescoes, had a magnificent entryway leading into it, and offered evidence of the rebel occupation during the Great Revolt (AD 66-71), including Jewish Revolt coinage and crude temporary structures.

In addition, the excavations in the arched corridor also turned up impressive evidence from the Bar Kokhba Revolt period (AD 132-135/6): hidden tunnels dug on the site by the rebels as part of the guerilla warfare they waged against the Romans.