HEROD'S PORT & PALACE

Herod's Port & Palace Photo Album

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Herod the Great, King of Judea (40–4 BC), was the superstitious despot and tyrant who ordered the killing of all the children in and around Bethlehem who were two years old or under (Matt 2:16-18). His paranoid nature caused him to kill even his own family members. In a fit of jealousy, he ordered his beautiful wife, Mariamne, to be executed. It is said that he kept her dead body in honey for seven years because he truly loved her and regretted his rash act.

Knowing that his death would not be mourned by his subjects, he gathered distinguished men from Judea and imprisoned them in the hippodrome in Jericho (Ant. 17.6.5). Herod then ordered his sister Salome to execute them immediately after his death to ensure that his death would be greeted with mourning, not joy. The order was never carried out as Salome released them instead (Ant. 17.8.2).

However, Herod the Great was a gifted man. This is attested by his colossal building projects. Masada's palaces, Herodion's cylindrical fortress, Caesarea Maritima’s artificial harbour, and the rebuilding of Jerusalem's Temple Mount are just some of the works of his creative inspirations. When we look at each of these buildings, we can only agree that Herod the Great was one of the greatest builders of the ancient world.