The Ancient Fortress of Machaerus Jordan

Rebuilt by Herod the Great - Place of Execution of John the Baptist

Oct 27, 2008

The Jordanian village of Mkawer, 25 miles southwest of Madaba, is home to the ruins of Machaerus, the Black Fortress, the place of execution of John the Baptist.

Machaerus is situated off the modern tourist routes on the edge of the Dead Sea between Wadi Zerqa Ma`in to the north, Wadi Heidan-Mujib to the south and only five miles from the mineral springs of Callirohe.

At nearly 4000 ft above sea level there is a stunning view across the Dead Sea into the West Bank and Israel. On a clear night you can see the lights of Jerusalem and Jericho.

Building work by Hasmonean king, Alexander Jannaeus, King of Judea 103-76 BCE first began on the fortress around 100 BCE in order to provide protection for his territory of Peraea on its southern boundary with Nabatean Petra.

After earlier destruction by the Roman army it was rebuilt by Herod the Great around 30 BCE. Herod reigned as King of Judea from 37 BCE until his death in 4 BCE.

Jewish historian Flavius Josephus described the fortress as over 300 feet long 200 feet wide with three corner towers. Herod’s palace lay in the centre of the fortifications. Pliny said, “next to Jerusalem it is the strongest fortress in Palestine.” (Historia Naturalis)

Herod remains one of the most captivating yet unspeakable characters of Biblical history. The Bible tells us that in his search for the baby Jesus he was responsible for giving orders to “kill all the boys in Bethlehem and its neighbourhood who were two years old and younger.” Mathew 2:16

When Herod died his lands were divided among his three surviving sons. It was Herod Antipas who inherited Machaerus and the surrounding lands.

Machaerus has the grim reputation as the place of the murder of John the Baptist. The preacher had accused Antipas of adultery, described in the words of Josephus as adultery and incest.

As a result Antipas had him thrown him in jail, then beheaded him in response to a demand by his stepdaughter Salome for his head on a plate.

“So he had John beheaded in prison. The head was brought in on a dish and given to the girl who took it to her mother.” Mathew 14:9

Following the sack and destruction of Jerusalem in 70 CE, the Jews fled, occupying Machaerus. However, their stay there was short lived for within two years Roman Governor, Lucius Bassus re- took the fortress.

The building of a ramp to take their siege engines, although never completed, had threatened disaster for the besieged Jews forcing them to surrender. They were, perhaps surprisingly, allowed to leave unharmed (some sources argue this was not the case). Herod’s palace and protective wall were then torn down leaving only the foundations intact.

The buildings lay abandoned and forgotten until archaeological work began in 1968. The work is continued today by the Jordanian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities.

It’s worth an extra note to mention the extraordinary work of Jewish historian Flavius Josephus born in Jerusalem in 37AD. His second work Jewish Antiquities is contained in 20 volumes and covers the history of the Jews from the Creation to the Jewish revolt in 66AD.

It is essential reading for those interested in the history of Marchaerus but like any research should be balanced by using other available sources.

The copyright of the article The Ancient Fortress of Machaerus Jordan in Ancient Middle Eastern History is owned by Neil Gunn. Permission to republish The Ancient Fortress of Machaerus Jordan in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.