Herodian was a palace built by Herod the Great. Herodian, built between 23 to 20 BC, is arguably the greatest of his palaces and the location of his mausoleum. Herodian was built on a high vantage point which Herod was well-known for choosing for the location of his palaces. The height of the location in comparison to the hills around it, allowed for a view as far as Masada, Jerusalem and Trans-Jordan. Herod was able to communicate with his other palaces by sending signals between his palaces all of which were strategically located on a high hill. This was important, in part, because of his position as a military leader entrusted with preserving the Roman territory.
The palace grounds covered approximately twelve and a half acres. A fortress was located in the upper city. In the lower city, were gardens, a lake and a palace. The water for the lake and gardens was supplied by the aqueduct from the pools in Bethlehem (Solomon’s Pools). The water for the upper city was supplied by a system of cisterns. The lower two floors of the upper city were underground and supported by arches. The upper floors had wood ceilings.
Although little is left of the tremendous palace complex, the foundations alone speak of its grandeur. Herod did nothing in small measure. One might imagine the palace standing during the time of Jesus, towering over the Bethlehem region, a reminder of the oppression of “Jewish” leaders under the thumb of the Roman Empire.
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