The search for the tomb of King Herod has been found by Professor Ehud Netzer from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem Institute of Archaeology on Tuesday, where the discovery took place on Mount Herodium.
King Herod's grave, sarcophagus and mausoleum were found on Mount Herodium's northeastern slope. The location and unique nature of the findings, as well as the historical record, leave no doubt that this was Herod's burial site, said Prof. Netzer. The search for Herod's tomb actively began 30 years ago.
Herod was the Roman-appointed king of Judea from 37 to 4 BCE, who was renowned for his many monumental building projects, including the reconstruction of the Temple in Jerusalem, the palace at Masada, as well as the complex at Herodium, 15 kilometers south of Jerusalem. .
Worthy of note is the fact that the sarcophagus was broken into hundreds of pieces, no doubt deliberately. This activity, including the destruction of the monument, apparently took place in the years 66-72 C.E. during the first Jewish revolt against the Romans, while Jewish rebels took hold of the site, according to Josephus and the archaeological evidence. The rebels were known for their hatred of Herod and all that he stood for, as a "puppet ruler" for the Romans.
"It is an important discovery, first of all because Herod is well known," the professor said in a press conference, reported the AFP. "Secondly, because Herod is a personality that is important to the Christians â€" he is mentioned many times in the New Testament.