"The Herodium, a desert fortress-palace built by King Herod the Great in the 1st century BCE, rises like a perfect cone from the Judean landscape. Once adorned with grand walls, a royal palace, gardens, and one of the largest man-made mounds of the ancient world, its ruins now tell a story of power and ambition fading into time. Beneath the hill lie intricate tunnels and chambers, later used by Jewish rebels during the Bar Kokhba revolt. Today, the exposed stones, carved stairways, and panoramic views preserve both the grandeur of Herod’s vision and the layers of history etched into this mountain."
