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What Happens When You Murder a child?

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Updated: Jan 30

Exploring the Burial Site of King Herod "the Great"

by John W. Moore

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The Herodium - Herod's Burial Site and Fortress Palace near Bethlehem
The Herodium - Herod's Burial Site and Fortress Palace near Bethlehem

When Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, Herod the Great was ruling Judea under the authority of Rome. During his nearly 40-year reign he commissioned the construction of numerous civic buildings, public works projects, religious temples, and has been given the moniker “the great” because of it. He was likewise called “great” to distinguish him from the descendants which bore his name.


However, Herod was far from being great. Through political maneuvering he found his way to power, and in his attempt to assimilate Jewish and Roman cultures he engendered bitterness and strife within his realm. In the eyes of many, he was a self-absorbed megalomaniac known for his political chicanery and despotism that eventually gave way to paranoia. His fears spiraled out of control and gave way to irrational thoughts and behaviors. Afraid that his family and enemies were plotting his death and seeking to overthrow his reign, he stopped at nothing to protect his crown. Even his sons Alexander, Aristobulus, and Antipater, and his beloved wife Mariamne fell victim to his reign of terror and were murdered at his heinous decree. (Josephus, Antiquities 15:50-56, 222-251).


Herod's three-tiered palace on the northern end of Masada near the Dead Sea
Herod's three-tiered palace on the northern end of Masada near the Dead Sea

To secure his safety and protect his position Herod built a series of fortified palaces at Jerusalem, Masada, and Machaerus. The palaces were designed as citadels and outposts to which he could retreat during any potential riot or attempted coup. He also built a fourth palace and citadel southeast of Bethlehem. It was known as the Herodium, and somewhere at this location, on what looks like an extinct volcano, the Jewish historian Josephus claimed Herod was buried. His report has now been validated by archaeology.


Initially used as a palace of luxury equipped with a large swimming pool at its base, archaeologists determined that Herod’s opulent palace had, after his death, been captured and used on two different occasions as a stronghold forJewish zealots in their revolt agains Rome. In the years that followed, this lavish palace was abandoned, fell into ruin, and robbed of its stones. His burial site had been forgotten and became only an unsubstantiated claim preserved in the writings of Josephus.


The destroyed remains of Herod's Mausoleum at the Herodium
The destroyed remains of Herod's Mausoleum at the Herodium

However, after years of excavation, in May of 2007 Israeli Professor Ehud Netzer discovered on the northern slope of this once grand fortress the remains of a 30 foot square solid stone platform with a double wall which he identified as Herod's mausoleum. Unearthed at the site were the remains of carefully cut and crafted stones with elaborately decorated cornices. Based on the remains the mausoleum it is purported to have stood some 70 feet tall (See Steinmeyer). Its location also revealed that its spire could be seen from Jerusalem nearly eight miles away. It was Herod’s obvious attempt to perpetuate his memory and to memorialize his reign. However, just the opposite occurred.


Unlike many of the preserved historic mausoleums scattered around Israel today, such as the ones in the Kidron valley in Jerusalem, Herod’s burial site was discovered in ruin. Instead of a preserved and venerated site with a beautiful tower of honor, archaeologists found what appeared to be a determined effort to desecrate and destroy the memory of a man who had been so vain, deranged, and brutal. His bones were nowhere to be found. The mausoleum was completely dismantled, and his sarcophagus was smashed into hundreds of pieces. The entire burial complex was so utterly destroyed that it seems whoever did this “really had it in” for Herod. But who? Both the Bible and history provide us a plausible explanation.


Known as the tomb of Absalom, this first century A.D. monument stands at the front of 8 burial chambers cut into the bedrock along the wall of the Kidron Valley in Jerusalem
Known as the tomb of Absalom, this first century A.D. monument stands at the front of 8 burial chambers cut into the bedrock along the wall of the Kidron Valley in Jerusalem

The biblical account of Jesus' birth reveals that when wise men from the east came seeking “he who has been born king of the Jews” (Matthew 2:2) that Herod ordered the slaughter of “all the male children in Bethlehem and in that region who were two years old or under” (Matthew 2:16). The legitimacy of this account has been questioned by some, but the testimony of ancient witnesses and the findings of archaeology offer circumstantial evidence to bolster its claims.


After reading Josephus’ account of Herod’s cruelty, even toward his own family, it is easy to see that Matthew’s gospel did not overstate the case nor exaggerate the portrayal of the Judean King who ruled during the birth of Jesus. A powerful man with a dark reputation for cruelty, and who was likewise suffering with extreme paranoia, could have easily issued this murderous decree for the small community of Bethlehem. History has shown that the Romans themselves, from which Herod derived his power, were capable of such atrocities as well. As Dr. Lawerence Stager said regarding his discovery of the apparent murder of approximately 100 infants found at Roman Ashkelon in Israel, "the Greeks and the Romans found infanticide to be the most effective form of birth control" (Stager, 45).


The restoration of the destroyed sarcophagus of King Herod at the Israel Archaeological Museum in Jerusalem  - darker pieces are original
The restoration of the destroyed sarcophagus of King Herod at the Israel Archaeological Museum in Jerusalem - darker pieces are original

Herod, therefore, as an instrument of Rome not only had the power to enact infanticide, but was without a doubt a man desirous of it as well. The birth site of Jesus in Bethlehem was only three miles from the site where was Herod's mausoleum was already under construction and the place where he was hoping to cement his legacy and establish a permanent place of honor. Thus, after such a heinous decree of infanticide it is easy to see that in the years which followed Herod’s reign, no one in the area was inclined to mourn his passing. His dismantled and desecrated burial site obviously indicates just exactly how others felt about his dastardly reign.


The belligerent destruction of Herod’s sarcophagus and the utter desecration his burial site seem to reflect a measured and calculated response to Herod’s cruelty. This seems especially true when one considers that Herod's burial site was so easily in view from Bethlehem, and even from parts of Jerusalem. This fact has become even more pronounced as excavators today unearthed the remains of Herod's mausoleum and ancillary buildings on its northern and western slopes.

Photo taken from the slope of the Herodium with Herod's swimming pool in the foreground and Bethlehem in the distance
Photo taken from the slope of the Herodium with Herod's swimming pool in the foreground and Bethlehem in the distance

In conclusion, I freely acknowledge that Herod's political maneuvering and civic accomplishments are important to observe and understand, but it is nevertheless extremely difficult for me to identify him as "great." His life and reign were soiled and ruined by horrific acts of violence. The hatred he spawned from among his tortured and beleaguered subjects can easily explain the destruction and desecration of what he hoped might be a lasting memorial. Instead, his place of honor devolved into ruin and decay, and his legacy cemented as a murderous tyrant.


On the other hand, the baby whom Herod sought to destroy is remembered and revered in a town not far from the place where he had hoped to be remembered. Only a few miles away at Bethlehem the birth of Jesus is celebrated each year. The city is donned with lights and festivity as pilgrims come from all over the world to visit the alleged birth site of the birth of Jesus at the oldest church building still in existence in the middle east. The subservient client King of Rome who lived in palace of luxury brought division and pain, but the King of kings who was born in a stable, brought peace on earth, and good will toward men.


By John W. Moore


Resources


Josephus, Flavius. "Antiquities of the Jews"


Netzer, Ehud. “In Search of Herod’s Tomb,” Biblical Archaeology Review 37.1 (2011): 37–48, 70.


Stager, Lawrence E. and Samuel R. Wolff, “Child Sacrifice at Carthage—Religious Rite or Population Control?” Biblical Archaeology Review: 10:01.


Steinmeyer, Nathan ://www.biblicalarchaeology.org/daily/bas-onsite/onsite-herodium/ September 12, 2022.




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