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Duby Tal

Rising above the surrounding Judean hills, the artificially conical mountain of Herodium still bears witness to the building prowess of its namesake, King Herod the Great. At this barren site southeast of Jerusalem, Herod constructed a spectacular palace/fortress atop the mountain and a lavish palatial resort in the valley below. According to Josephus, the king had chosen this desert retreat as his final resting place, but the burial location eluded archaeologists for decades—until now. Despite the reservations of some scholars, excavator Ehud Netzer is now certain that he has found Herod’s tomb.