Herodium

Regrettably, the concept of diversity has been so thoroughly co-opted that I have all but eliminated it from my vocabulary. On occasion, however, no other word will do and exceptions must be made.

My summer semester at Pardes wrapped up yesterday. We were asked to submit an evaluation, and in response to one of the questions I had no choice but to answer "diverse". There was a diversity of classes, instructors and most of all students. It was very unusual to be with 20-somethings. Other than at the gym, where I out-last and out-perform them, it's a demographic I know nothing about. That hasn't really changed. But I did learn a few things from teachers who were remarkable and introduced me to areas of study and practice that were compelling. Most important of all I met people who I hope will be lifelong friends.

On Tuesday we had a tiyul (outing) to Herodium, one of King Herod's palaces - the one he chose as his final resting place. It was a place I'd wanted to visit for years. To give you an idea of how controversial Herod was, there is not one street in Israel that bears his name. He was brilliant and paranoid, an egomaniac and self-promoter, manipulative and ruthless, a contemporary of Anthony and Cleopatra, an adroit politician who knew how to balance competing domestic factions while simultaneously keeping his Roman overlords happy enough to remain in power. He was a visionary planner who built palaces, ports and aqueducts. His greatest architectural achievement was the Second Temple, one of the most spectacular in the ancient world. It was so well constructed that the outer retaining wall, the only part of the Temple compound that wasn't destroyed by the Romans in 70CE, survives to this day. That's what the Western Wall is. And to this day no one has figured out how the multi-ton blocks of limestone that support the structure were quarried, transported and put in place. The engineering required for the Temple and projects such as the port of Caesarea and the winter palace of Massada are marvels to this day.

Like Massada, Herodium was considered the invention (and exaggeration) of Josephus, himself a very controversial character. Prior to the Six Day War, when the purported locations were under Jordanian occupation, no one could even explore to verify his writings. Post the '67 War, the Department of Antiquities turned loose the best and brightest to find these fabled palaces. Herodium was identified in the early 70's and the excavations are on-going. But the real prize was the tomb itself, which was located in 2007. There is a very sad story attached to the tomb. In 2010 Ehud Netzer, the archaeologist who spent 35 years of his career working at Herodium, tragically fell to his death at the site, just days before it was to be opened to the public. He was giving a press tour, leaned on a wooden railing which wasn't secured and fell to his death. How ironic that he died in the very place where Herod was buried.

Lower Herodium. It's hard to tell, but this was actually a pool with a large platform in the center.

At the model of the site. 

The model.

The hike up. Way easier than Massada.

Overview of the site.

Our guide. We were sitting in what was originally a banquet hall, but later converted into a synagogue by soldiers of the Bar Kochba revolt.

You have to use your imagination, but this is actually a domed ceiling, one of the tallest for its time.

One of the cisterns.

My soldier boy finished his second week in the army. As always it was a very good experience for him, and invaluable to Israel. I'm very proud of him.

Shabbat shalom from Jerusalem,

Peggy and Sid