Machaerus
Hilltop palace in Jordan / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Machaerus (Μαχαιροῦς, from Ancient Greek: μάχαιρα, lit. 'makhaira' [a sword]; Hebrew: מכוור; Arabic: قلعة مكاور, romanized: Qala'at Mukawir, lit. 'Mukawir Castle')[1][2] was a Hasmonean hilltop palace and desert fortress, now in ruins, located in the village of Mukawir in modern-day Jordan, 25 km (16 mi) southeast of the mouth of the Jordan River on the eastern side of the Dead Sea.[3] According to the Jewish-Roman historian Flavius Josephus, it was the location of the imprisonment and execution of John the Baptist.[4] According to the chronology of the Bible (Mark 6:24; Matthew 14:8), the execution took place in about 32 CE shortly before the Passover, following an imprisonment of two years. The site also provides the setting for four additional New Testament figures: Herod the Great; his son, Tetrarch Herod Antipas; his second wife, Princess Herodias; and her daughter, Princess Salome.[5]
قلعة مكاور | |
Location | Madaba Governorate, Jordan |
---|---|
Region | Perea |
Coordinates | 31°34′2″N 35°37′27″E |
Type | Fortification, Palace |
History | |
Builder | Alexander Jannaeus |
Founded | c. 90 BCE |
Abandoned | c. 72 CE |
Periods | Hellenistic to Roman period |
Cultures | Hasmonean, Herodian |
Site notes | |
Condition | In ruins |
Public access | Yes |