Machaerus — Fortress of Herod Antipas

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Machaerus — Fortress of Herod Antipas

What It Is

Machaerus (Greek: Μαχαιροῦς, “sword”; Arabic: Qala’at Mukawir) was a Hasmonean hilltop fortress east of the Dead Sea, rebuilt and expanded by Herod the Great and later used by his son Herod Antipas as a palace-fortress.

Why It Matters

  • The Jewish-Roman historian Josephus identifies Machaerus as the place where John the Baptist was imprisoned and executed (Jewish War 7.6; Antiquities 18.5.2).
  • The four Gospels also record John’s imprisonment and beheading at the instigation of Herodias and her daughter Salome (Matthew 14; Mark 6).
  • Excavations have confirmed a first-century Herodian palace, bathhouse, courtyard, and mikveh at the site.

The Site

  • Built originally by Alexander Jannaeus (c. 90 B.C.E.), destroyed by the Roman general Gabinius in 57 B.C.E., then rebuilt by Herod the Great around 30 B.C.E.
  • Passed to Herod Antipas, tetrarch of Galilee and Perea, at the beginning of the first century C.E.
  • Josephus says John was imprisoned at Machaerus after denouncing Herod Antipas’s marriage to Herodias.

KJV Connection

> “For Herod had laid hold on John, and bound him, and put him in prison for Herodias’ sake, his brother Philip’s wife. For John said unto him, It is not lawful for thee to have her.” — Matthew 14:3–4 (KJV)

> “And he sent, and beheaded John in the prison.” — Matthew 14:10 (KJV)

  • Machaerus provides the archaeological setting for these Gospel narratives.
  • The royal courtyard has been proposed as a parallel to the Gabbatha (Praetorium pavement) in Jerusalem where Pilate tried Jesus.

Sources

  • Wikipedia — Machaerus: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Machaerus
  • Josephus, Jewish War 7.6 and Antiquities 18.5.2
  • Excavation reports by the Studium Biblicum Franciscanum (1978–1981) and subsequent Hungarian Academy of Arts / ACOR projects.
  • Győző Vörös, “Machaerus: Where Salome Danced and John the Baptist Was Beheaded,” Biblical Archaeology Review, Sep/Oct 2012.

Notes

  • The exact spot of John’s execution within the fortress is not archaeologically certain, but the site’s identification with Josephus’s account is well established.
  • The fortress was destroyed by the Romans in 72 C.E. during the First Jewish-Roman War.

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