Herod’s Tomb, Ehud Netzer and a Case of Mistaken Identity

Articles, Photo Essay 2 Comments

The Herodium is a great place to bring people who are exploring the Holy Land for the first time. I always felt that the site spoke eloquently to visitors of both the brilliance and madness of Herod the Great.

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Updated: 8 August 2021

In 2007, my wife and I were teaching at a small school in Bethlehem, Palestine when the news broke that Ehud Netzer had finally achieved the objective of his lifetime search: the tomb of the infamous King Herod.

Solomon’s Pools. (Photo courtesy of the author.)

When we first arrived in the Holy Land, my wife and I toured as many sites as we could on both the Israeli and Palestinian sides of the border. One of the great things about working in Palestine was that we were able to tour sites in the Palestinian Territories that most American tourists never visit, such as Hebron and Jericho. There are even many sites in and around Bethlehem to which many tourists never travel, such as Solomon’s Pools, David’s Well, and the Shepherds’ Fields. The Herodium became one of my favorite off-the-beaten-path sites in the Bethlehem area. So at the time of Netzer’s announcement, I already knew my way around the Herodium well, having been there on several occasions.

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A view of the Herodium fortress.

Comments 2

  1. At 90 yrs old it is great to listen rather than try to read. Prof
    Bivin we thank you so much for the nearly 40 yrs we have been
    listening and reading your articles. We will always be grateful for
    the meetings we had in El Paso and visit to Israel.
    Todah Rabah John

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  • Douglas Priore

    Douglas Priore

    Douglas R. Priore is a graduate of Gordon College in Wenham, Massachusetts (2002) where he earned a B.A. in Biblical and Theological Studies and studied under Dr. Marvin Wilson. While at Gordon, Douglas spent a semester abroad at Jerusalem University College (Spring, 2001). Douglas earned…
    [Read more about author]

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