A large rectangular courtyard was located near the northern round tower. Colonnades and covered arcades surrounded it. Around this courtyard, gardens were bloomed, and there were various rooms — for example, the king’s throne room and a bath for ritual bathing - a mikvah. During excavations, stones were discovered that were used by the Romans in the siege of fortresses. These findings tell of the fate of Herodion during the Bar Kochba rebellion.
A stunning structure that has no analogs in the ancient world is the palace, fortress, and mausoleum of one of the most famous rulers of the past - King Herod the Great. Herodion rises above the hills of the Judean desert and silently looks over Bethlehem - the city where Jesus was born. Who knows, maybe it was the Herodion from where Herod the Great gave the order to kill all the babies in Bethlehem to destroy Jesus. Professor Netzer spent 30 years searching for Herod’s tomb and died in Herodion. Who knows, maybe in this way the king’s curse came true, imposed on the one who will disturb his grave. Herodion is the place where Bar Kochba rebels hid and the place where the desert blooms in spring with the blue Iris, so rare for these places.
