3/30/2011 - Herodion

We left the hotel this morning with a reduced but hearty group.  We got about two miles from our hotel when Suzan's phone rang - Shirley was calling to tell us that we had left Ralph at the hotel.  Shalom, our driver, pulled the bus to the side of the road and we waited while Ralph took a cab to join us on the bus.

We finally got off to Herodion, one of Herrod the Great's most ambitious building projects.  It served as his summer palace, fortress, monument, burial ground and district palace when he was the Judean King from 37-4 BCE.

The complex was built in two sections - Upper Herodion, containing the palace set within a circular fortress on an artificial cone-shaped mountain; and Lower Herodion, at the base of the mountain, which had numerous palace annexes for use by family and friends.

Upon Herrod's death, the Palace was bequeathed to his son, Archelaus, who ruled from 4-6 BCE.  When Archelaus was banished (he was a bad ruler), Herodion passed to the Romans until it was taken by Jewish rebels during the outbreak of the great revolt against Rome in 66.  The zealots lived there for four years until it was retaken by the Romans, but during their stay they built a synagogue and a Mikveh.

The site was abandoned until 132 when Jewish rebels once again occupied the site while fightinign the Bar Kochba revolt.

Herodion was once again abandoned in 135 until the Byzantines took residence between the 5th and 7th centuries.

Josephus Flavius was the ancient historian who described Herodion in great detail.

Upper Herodion was excavated in 1962 and was completed in 1967 under the auspices of Father Vigelio Corbo, a Franciscan of the Custodia di Terra Santa in Jerusalem; Lower Herodion was excavated in 1972 and completed in 1988 by Ehud Nezer for the Hebrew University.

An extensive surprise assault system from the Bar Kochba period was found in the Upper Herodion that included water cisterns and tunnels.

 

Herodion is surrounded by Arab villages that sharply contract the Israeli "settlements."  In the distance we could see mosques with their minarets reaching for the sky.

Some of the structure of the Upper Herodion reminded me of the Cliff Dwellings in Mesa Verde.

The Lower Herodion included a large pool and gardens.

Walking through the extensive tunnels in the Cisterns of the Upper Herodion, it was easy to see how the rebels from the Bar Kochba rebellion could have survived.  There were many roomy areas that could have comfortably accommodated them for some time.

As we walked toward the exit we noticed a pile of large rounded stones that were either used in a catapult or a canon to attack the outer walls of the Herodion.

3/29/2011 - Up Hill Both Ways

After the City of David we returned to the hotel for a few moments of rest before heading out for dinner on our own.


We joined together with Mark and Bobbi Kramer and Ken and Barbara Laff and decided to go to a nearby Italian restaurant - Focacetta - for pizza, salad and wine.  We got directions from the hotel concierge and thought that we knew exactly where we were going.  We headed out from the hotel down the hill toward the old city, knowing that we needed to turn right to get to the restaurant.  We turned right, but not on the right street and were now heading up hill.  We walked a couple of blocks, but couldn't find the restaurant.  We headed back down the hill and went up the other side of the street - just in case we had needed to turn left instead of right.  Again, up hill and again, not the right direction.  We finally stopped at the Mamilla Hotel and asked them for directions.  Again, we thought we knew where we were going and walked up hill back to the right again - this time taking the middle tine of the forked road.  Up hill we went and still no restaurant.  We walked through a building that was the right street number, but not the right street.  Bobbi and I decided to go over one more street, while the rest of the group went further up the middle street.  Jackpot!  I found the restaurant, but none of the those that had gone the other direction had their phones with them or on.  Bobbi and I went down the hill to find the rest of the group and then all climbed back up to the restaurant.  We had a lovely meal, but decided we wanted ice cream for dessert and determined to walk to Ben Yehuda Street where there are many ice cream shops.  Again, we walked up the hill looking for Hillel Street, but instead we found King George Street - the street that our hotel is on.  It was adventure, but we found our way to dinner and dessert - just having to go up hill each way we went.  Another great day in Israel.