Architect Discovers Herod’s Tomb: Exactly Where It Was Supposed to Be
1 Comment Published by Jason March 25th, 2008 in Uncategorized. Share ThisFlavius Josephus, or Yosef Ben Matityahu (as he was known in more Hebraic circles) was a well known philosopher/historian in the 1st century AD. Famous for such works as Antiquities of the Jews and Jewish Wars, Josephus also left us a clue… where to find King Herod’s tomb.
Around the bier were Herod’s sons and a large group of his relations; these were followed by the guards, the Thracian contingent, Germans and Gauls, all equipped as for war. The reminder of the troops marched in front, armed and in orderly array, led by their commanders and subordinate officers; behind these came five hundred of Herod’s servants and freedmen, carrying spices. The body was thus conveyed for a distance of two hundred furlongs to Herodium, where, in accordance with the directions of the deceased, it was interred. So ended Herod’s reign. — excerpt from The Jewish Wars
So, an architect, Ehud Netzer, at the Hebrew university spent a life-time years looking for the tomb… guess where he found it.
It took 35 years for Netzer to identify the exact location, but on May 7, 2007, an Israeli team of archaeologists of the Hebrew University led by Netzer, announced they had discovered the tomb.The site is located at the exact location given by Flavius Josephus, atop of tunnels and water pools, at a flattened desert site, halfway up the hill to Herodium, 12 kilometers (7.5 mi) south of Jerusalem. – thanks Wikipedia
Here’s a video… (I preferred this one but can’t get it to embed)
Herodium is a 50 acre compound of ruined structures, including a man-made mountain. The tomb was destroyed around 67 AD, and the tomb subsequently buried under rubble and earth. Josephus dscribes the funeral, but doesn’t say where in the 50 acrres the tomb was located. Therefore, Netzer’s feat is quite something. As a parallel thought experiment, go to a 50-some acre state park, and try to find your ass with both hands. Betcha can’t.