Bethlehem and the Herodion

Before visiting Bethlehem, our group hiked to the top of the Herodion. This partially man-made mountain is the only building project of Herod the Great that bears his name. It is also the final resting place for the client-king of Rome.

Recent excavations by Ehud Netzer have revealed what is believed to be the site of the monumental tomb of Herod. Netzer thinks that this structure, given its foundation, was seven-stories tall. As well, the archaeologists have uncovered a small, private theatre which seated 45o of Herod's guests.

In addition to Herod, the fortress served the Romans, the Zealots, and the Byzantines. Each occupant modified the site to fit their needs. For example, the Zealots transformed the triclinium into a synagogue. Intriquing as well are the numerous tunnels dug by the Zealots for surprise attacks into the countryside.

Perhaps the most striking fact about the Herodion comes from the period of its construction. Herod's workers literally moved an adjacent mountain to raise the elevation of the Herodion some 65 feet. Scholars in the land speculate that this imagery may have been background for Jesus' teaching in Mark 11:22-23: "Have faith in God. Truly I tell you, if you say to this mountain, 'Be taken up and thrown into the sea, and if you do not doubt in your heart, but believe that what you say will come to pass, it will be done for you.'"

These words of Jesus served as inspiration for our afternoon visits to two mission sites in the Greater Bethlehem area, Hope Secondary School and Bethlehem Bible College.