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				Israel is a land of hills and mountains. In fact, the first-time visitor to the country often is amazed at how little flat land there is. After several days, most travelers will notice that Israel is dotted with a certain kind of hill, one that is...
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				In Herod's FootstepsHerod lay dying in his opulent palace in Jericho. He had been seriously ill for a long time. From the description in Josephus' writings, Herod had gangrene, severe itching, convulsions, and ulcers. His feet were covered with tu...
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				Herod s Magnificent PalaceThe Herodion, third largest palace of its day, stood as a magnificent monument to Herod's wealth and power.The Herodion, third largest palace of its day, was built in the wilderness near Bethlehem. The huge structure was ...
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				The Greatest CityLocated at the most critical mountain pass on the Via Maris, Megiddo was the greatest city in the ancient world.In ancient times, Megiddo towered above the Plain of Jezreel. It was located along the Via Maris, the primary trade ro...
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				Herod built the fortress-palace of Masada on a huge rock plateau overlooking the Dead Sea in the barren, remote, Judea Wilderness.Protection The top of the plateau, being more than twenty acres in size and nearly 1,300 feet above sea level, provid...
MOREOnly recently have these scattered remains been identified as Herod's palace. In the center was a freshwater pool now largely filled with silt and stones from the building itself. In the center is the podium believed to be the base for a large sta...
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				The Construction of the TempleMade of marble and gold, Herod's temple was taller than a fifteen-story building. Built on the exact location of Solomon's temple and the temple Nehemiah constructed, it could accommodate hundreds of thousands of pilg...
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				Viewed from the north from more than five miles away, the volcano-shaped mountaintop created by Herod dominates the skyline. The powerful appearance of this fortress is even more amazing when you consider that there was a circular palace coming ou...
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				The Domitian Gate: Hierapolis, known for its healing hot springs, was about six miles from Laodicea. What is left of the entrance to the city?a gate complex of two gigantic towers and three arches that opened onto a paved street about a mile and a...
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				Built by the Knights of the Order of the Hospitallers in the twelfth century, this isolated fortress protected the eastern side of the Crusaders' kingdom.Perched on a hill of the Issachar Plateau 1,700 feet above the Jordan Valley, this fortress e...
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				This view is from the outer wall of the upper fortress of the Herodion. You can see the astonishing magnitude of this palace. Herod's workers began with a natural hill considerably higher than other hills in the area. They constructed double cyndr...
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				Hill at the intersection of the Valley of Jezreel and the Valley of Harod. Gideon and 300 men defeated the Midianites, the desert people (bedouins), here. Also known as Mount Moreh.
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