Last Saturday we picked olives and this Saturday we went to Herodium, which lies about five kilometres south-east of Bethlehem. It was built by Herod the Great somewhere around 20 BCE as a summer palace and became Herod the Great’s tomb when he died in 4 BCE. He’s the same Herod who was ruler at the time of Jesus’ birth. So, how did he die four years before Jesus’ birth? Some theologian/historian couldn’t count.
Herodium is the perfect fortress with its mountaintop location, its labyrinth of tunnels, and its reservoirs, and so was a natural choice for a band of Zealots (rebels fighting against the Romans) who held Herodium from 66 CE to 70 CE when they were defeated by the Romans. 70 CE is the year that the 2nd Temple in Jerusalem was destroyed. Once again, in the Bar Kochba rebellion against the Romans, Herodium was held by the rebels from 132 CE to 135 CE when the rebels were defeated by the Romans. Recently the fortress was in the news because archeologists believed that they had found Herod the Great’s tomb. However, that claim is yet to be verified. It is certainly an interesting site with its ancient ruins, including the 1st synagogue built outside of Jerusalem.
From upper Herodium you have a panoramic view of the surrounding area. Looking east you can see the Dead Sea beyond the rolling hills of the Judean Desert. To the West is Bethlehem. All around Herodium are Palestinian and Bedouin villages and, among them, illegal Israeli settlements that have been built in such a way as to isolate the Palestinian villages. And of course the road leading to Herodium and the settlements will soon exist for the exclusive use of the settlers. It isn’t clear how the Palestinian villagers are going to be able to drive into Bethlehem.
On the way back to Bethlehem our Palestinian guide showed us where an Israeli military base had once stood. He laughed and said that it’s the only example in Palestine of Palestinians “grabbing” land from the Israelis. The municipality of Beit Sahour, a suburb of Bethlehem, bulldozed the abandoned military building and is trying to turn the former Israeli army base into the only park for the residents of Beit Sahour.
Leaving Bethlehem to return to Jerusalem we experienced the harassment Palestinians experience daily. We had to pass through the check point. All of the several gates were locked including the one to which we were directed. The Israeli soldiers were there but they ignored us. Finally, after several minutes, they let two through at a time, and an angry female voice began shouting in Hebrew ordering people to take off their shoes and put them on the conveyor belt. One young Palestinian woman was frightened half to death. When our turn came, we ignored what seemed to be the order to remove shoes and no one said anything to us—the benefit of holding a Canadian passport. Imagine what would have happened to a Palestinian who refused! Imagine experiencing that kind of humiliation and delay every day on your way to work!
Herodium is the perfect fortress with its mountaintop location, its labyrinth of tunnels, and its reservoirs, and so was a natural choice for a band of Zealots (rebels fighting against the Romans) who held Herodium from 66 CE to 70 CE when they were defeated by the Romans. 70 CE is the year that the 2nd Temple in Jerusalem was destroyed. Once again, in the Bar Kochba rebellion against the Romans, Herodium was held by the rebels from 132 CE to 135 CE when the rebels were defeated by the Romans. Recently the fortress was in the news because archeologists believed that they had found Herod the Great’s tomb. However, that claim is yet to be verified. It is certainly an interesting site with its ancient ruins, including the 1st synagogue built outside of Jerusalem.
From upper Herodium you have a panoramic view of the surrounding area. Looking east you can see the Dead Sea beyond the rolling hills of the Judean Desert. To the West is Bethlehem. All around Herodium are Palestinian and Bedouin villages and, among them, illegal Israeli settlements that have been built in such a way as to isolate the Palestinian villages. And of course the road leading to Herodium and the settlements will soon exist for the exclusive use of the settlers. It isn’t clear how the Palestinian villagers are going to be able to drive into Bethlehem.
On the way back to Bethlehem our Palestinian guide showed us where an Israeli military base had once stood. He laughed and said that it’s the only example in Palestine of Palestinians “grabbing” land from the Israelis. The municipality of Beit Sahour, a suburb of Bethlehem, bulldozed the abandoned military building and is trying to turn the former Israeli army base into the only park for the residents of Beit Sahour.
Leaving Bethlehem to return to Jerusalem we experienced the harassment Palestinians experience daily. We had to pass through the check point. All of the several gates were locked including the one to which we were directed. The Israeli soldiers were there but they ignored us. Finally, after several minutes, they let two through at a time, and an angry female voice began shouting in Hebrew ordering people to take off their shoes and put them on the conveyor belt. One young Palestinian woman was frightened half to death. When our turn came, we ignored what seemed to be the order to remove shoes and no one said anything to us—the benefit of holding a Canadian passport. Imagine what would have happened to a Palestinian who refused! Imagine experiencing that kind of humiliation and delay every day on your way to work!
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