Machaerus

Machaerus stands on a conical hill above the eastern side of the Dead Sea, fortified by the Hasmoneans and rebuilt by Herod the Great, and Josephus places the imprisonment and execution of John the Baptist here, which is the association most visitors come for. Excavation has exposed the palace courtyard, columns re-erected on the summit and a bath complex. The view runs across the Dead Sea to the hills beyond.

Background

The name comes from the Greek makhaira, a sword, and in Arabic the site is Qala'at Mukawir. It stands near Mukawir village, 25 km to the southeast of the Jordan River's mouth. The Hasmonean king Alexander Jannaeus built the first fortress in about 90 BC. Herod the Great rebuilt it in 30 BC and added a palace with a triclinium and peristyle, plus cisterns and a mikveh. The hilltop stands about 1,100 meters above the level of the Dead Sea, with deep ravines on every side. The fortress wall measured 100 meters by 60 meters, with three corner towers. The site was abandoned in about 72 CE, and the Frisian explorer Ulrich Jasper Seetzen visited it in 1807.

Source: Wikipedia, "Machaerus"

Highlights

• The hilltop palace - the excavated courtyard and re-erected columns.
• The Josephus account - the source placing John the Baptist's death here.
• The Dead Sea view - the water and the hills beyond from the summit.
• The siege works - the Roman ramp and camp traces on the slopes below.

When to go

March to May and October to November are the comfortable months. Summer heat is severe on the exposed hill. Late afternoon light is best.

Before you go

The climb up is steep and completely unshaded. Most of what stands is re-erected rather than original. Interpretation on site is thin.

Nearby

Umm ar-Rasas is northeast, and the Dead Sea is west.

Key facts