Machaerus
قلعة مكاور | |
Herodian | |
Site notes | |
---|---|
Condition | In ruins |
Public access | Yes |
Machaerus (Μαχαιροῦς, from
History
The fortress Machaerus was originally built by the
Upon the death of Herod the Great, the fortress was passed to his son, Herod Antipas, who ruled from 4 BC until 39 AD. It was during this time, at the beginning of the first century AD, that John the Baptist was imprisoned and beheaded at Machaerus.[9]
After the deposition and banishment of Herod Antipas in 39 AD, Machaerus passed to
Design
Josephus gives a full description of Machaerus in
Herod the Great regarded the place as deserving the strongest fortification, particularly because of its proximity to
The royal courtyard is considered one of the closest and best existing archaeological parallels to the Herodian
Excavation
The village on the plateau to the east of the mountain is called Mukawir (
Within the fortified area are the ruins of the Herodian palace, including rooms, a large courtyard, and an elaborate bath, with fragments of the floor mosaic still remaining. Farther down the eastern slope of the hill are other walls and towers, perhaps representing the "lower town," of which Josephus also wrote.
Anastylosis
In the spring of 2014, archeologist
See also
- Hasmonean desert fortresses
- Alexandreion/Alexandrion/Alexandrium
- Dok (Dagon) on the Mount of Temptation
- Hyrcania (fortress)
- Cypros (German article)
Notes
- ^ "Jordan - Touristic Sites - South of Amman". www.kinghussein.gov.jo. Retrieved 2021-10-22.
- ^ Division, United States Geographic Names (1955). Jordan: Official Standard Names: Approved by the United States Board on Geographic Names. Geographic Names Division.
- ^ "Castle of Herod the Great | , Jordan | Sights". www.lonelyplanet.com. Retrieved 2022-05-16.
- ISBN 90-5356-503-5page 583
- ^ "Anastylosis at Machaerus", Biblical Archaeology Review, Jan/Feb. 2015, Vol. 41, No. 1, p61.
- The Wars of the Jews7.6.2
- ^ Anastylosis at Machaerus, Biblical Archaeology Review, Jan/Feb. 2015, Vol. 41, No. 1, pp52-61.
- The Wars of the Jews1.8.5
- ^ Josephus Antiquities of the Jews 18.5.2
- The Wars of the Jews2.18.6
- ^ Anastylosis at Machaerus, Biblical Archaeology Review, Jan/Feb. 2015, Vol. 41, No. 1, p61.
- ^ "Jordan offers a haven in the Holy Land: Precious Antiquities and Peace". www.kinghussein.gov.jo. Retrieved 2022-05-16.
- ^ "Jordan - Touristic Sites - South of Amman". www.kinghussein.gov.jo. Retrieved 2022-05-16.
- The Wars of the Jews7.6.4
- ^ Anastylosis at Machaerus, Biblical Archaeology Review, Jan/Feb. 2015, Vol. 41, No. 1, pp52-61.
Further reading
- Corbo, V. (1978) La fortezza di Macheronte: Rapporto preliminare della prima campagna di scavo: 8 settembre - 28 ottobre 1978. Liber Annuus 28: 217–238. (Excavation Report)
- Vörös, Győző. “Machaerus: Where Salome Danced and John the Baptist Was Beheaded.” Biblical Archaeology Review, Sep/Oct 2012, 30–41, 68.
- Vörös, Győző (2012) Machaerus: Excavations and Surveys (2009-2012), Hungarian Academy of Arts.
- Vörös, Győző. “Anastylosis at Machaerus.” Biblical Archaeology Review, Jan/Feb 2015, 52–61.
- Vörös, Győző (2013) Machaerus I: History, Archeology and Architecture of the Fortified Herodian Royal Palace and City Overlooking the Dead Sea in Transjordan. Final Report of the Excavations and Surveys 1807-2012, Milano: Edizioni Terra Santa.
- Vörös, Győző (2015) Machaerus II: The Hungarian Archaeological Mission in the Light of the American-Baptist and Italian-Franciscan Excavations and Surveys. Final Report 1968-2015, Milano: Edizioni Terra Santa.
- Vörös, Győző (2018) Machaerus project: preliminary report on the 2016-2017 archaeological excavation, ADAJ: 2018, No 59, pp. 435–454.
- Vörös, Győző (2019) Machaerus III: Final Report on the Herodian Citadel 1968-2018, Milano: Edizioni Terra Santa.
- Vörös, Győző (2022) Machaerus: The Golgotha of John the Baptist, Budapest: MMM Kiadó.
External links
- Machaerus, article in historical sourcebook by Mahlon H. Smith
- Machaerus, Jordan
- The Franciscan Archaeological Institute's Page on "The Fortress at Machaerous"
- Studium Biblicum Franciscanum's Page on "The Machaerus Archaeological Excavations in Jordan"
- Machaerus: Beyond the Beheading of John the Baptist Biblical Archaeology Society
- Photos of Machaerus at the American Center of Research