Oh, Little Hill, Herodium . . .
At Christmas time we hear, speak, and sing a lot about the little town of Bethlehem, but who ever heard of a place just a half dozen miles farther south, called Herodium?
Everyone had at the time when Jesus was born. In fact, many of the soldiers, government officials, and contractors who regularly had to travel the dozen miles from Jerusalem to Herodium probably thought of Bethlehem as just another dirty little no-count village beside the road--hardly worthy of a glance; maybe a good place to stop for a drink or a bite to eat at lunch time. But not a place where anything important was happening.
Jerusalem and Herodium were the important places. King Herod the Great had forts, garrisons, and palaces in those places, and right now important preparations were being made at Herodium, no doubt necessitating a lot of travel through Bethlehem.
On the night that Jesus was born, Herod was ill, and though he tried to deny it, he no doubt realized that death might come soon. Never one to leave anything to chance, he had carefully planned for his own burial, and a tomb was being prepared at Herodium, just south of Bethlehem.
So, on the night that Jesus was born, just a few miles away--perhaps within sight of the shepherds watching their flocks by night--preparations were being made for the death of the most powerful king to reign over Israel since Solomon, the son of David.
Learn more about this amazing confluence of events by following the links below.
The Significance of Herodium in the Story of the Birth of Jesus
A devotional perspective
"Jesus loves me, this I know, for the Bible tells me so.
Little ones to Him belong, they are weak, but He is strong."
Something about that song irritated me from the very first time I heard it, when I was three or four years old. Somehow it made Jesus seem so soft and cuddly, and for me, a boy growing up in America just after World War II, the picture I had of real men didn't include soft at all.
But was Jesus really a softy? I invite you to take a fresh look with me.
Bethlehem, where Jesus was born, is just a half-dozen miles up the road from Herod's fortress-palace, the Herodium. What this means is that when Jesus came to earth, He didn't choose a place way out in no-man's land, where He could hide out and be safe. Even as a baby, He showed tremendous courage and trust in His Father's protection, by coming to a village that was no doubt a frequent stopping-place for Herod's palace guard.
It's as if He came to the United States today, intent on overthrowing the presidency, but he set up shop right across the street from Secret Service headquarters. We use the term "in your face" today, and that's exactly how Jesus related to Herod.
And if that wasn't enough, He put on a fireworks show that attracted attention of people who lived hundreds of miles away and brought them to His birthplace. These visitors even went right to Herod and made inquiries about the one who had been born to take Herod's place on the throne!
You've got to understand something about this man Herod to appreciate just how gutsy that move was! From the Bible we know the story of the slaughter of the children of Bethlehem, but this was far from the first time Herod had resorted to murder to save his throne. This man was almost insane in his greed for power. Even his sons were not safe--he had killed two of them who seemed to be plotting to unseat him.
If this move by Jesus, right into Herod's back yard, was an isolated incident, I wouldn't make much of it. But as we continue to look at Jesus' life, considering where He did what, we see Him doing the same sort of thing over and over again. Nazareth, His next home town, was just an hour's walk from Sepphoris, the capital city of Herod Antipas, one of Herod the Great's sons. And as we trace the movements of Jesus early in His ministry, we find Him often putting Himself in what could be harm's way.
He was no soft, mushy, fearful sort. No, not Jesus. He was gutsy. He wasn't afraid to make the "in-your-face" move. Because He knew He was here on a mission--God's mission. And the results were in His Father's hands.
Read more devotional thoughts about the events, places, and people surrounding the birth of Jesus, including:
Why Shepherds?
Why to Egypt?
What About All Those Innocent Babies?
Jeroboam and Jesus
History of Herodium
In 40 BC the place that came to be known as Herodium was an uninhabited hill. In that year, young Herod was under house arrest in Jerusalem. He had had somewhat of an an illustrious career up to that time. Eight years earlier, at the age of 25, he had been made chief magistrate of the province of Galilee. Moving ruthlessly to subdue bandits in the region, he soon found himself charged by the Sanhedrin in Jerusalem with murder, but he managed to frighten them into letting him go free. He then went to Damascus, and was appointed governor of part of Syria, and later Samaria and Galilee.
But then in 40 BC, the Parthians (Persians) invaded Palestine, successfully taking all of the territory that Herod ruled, plus Judea, including Jerusalem, where Herod had fled. Herod's brother Phasael had been governor of Judea, but he was captured by the Parthians, and committed suicide. Seeing not much future in life under Parthian rule, Herod somehow managed to escape Jerusalem, and head south to the well-known fortress Masada.
But along the way he had to fend off a number of attacks, both by Parthians and Jews. One of the most notable battles took place on or near the hill that later became Herodium. After successfully escaping from the Parthians and making his way to Rome, Herod managed to get an audience with Mark Antony. Antony appointed him king of Judea, and Herod returned to Palestine with an army in 39 BC. It took two years to conquer the territory, but finally, with the aid of Roman troops, he captured Jerusalem and set up his kingdom.
Herod was well known for his lavish building program. He built palaces and fortresses all over his territory. One of the most lavish was constructed at the site, just six miles south of Bethlehem, of his important victory on his flight from Jerusalem. He had the whole top of the hill cut off and hollowed out like a volcano, and built a fortress palace inside. He named it after himself--Herodium. And he chose it to be his place of burial.
That's why Herodium was likely a beehive of activity on the night that Jesus was born. That's why Roman soldiers and Herod's own palace guard may have passed by regularly, as Jesus spent His first few days in a stable.
The Bible Timelines charts from Bible Lights Publishing are a great tool for helping to understand the stories of the Bible and how different events in history relate to one another.
Read a brief meditation on the significance of Herodium in the story of Jesus' birth.
Most of what we know about Herodium comes from the writings of Flavius Josephus (A.D. 37-100). Read what Josephus wrote about Herodium.
Where is Herodium?
If you leave Jerusalem, heading south from the Jaffa Gate, it's about a 6.5 mile drive to Bethlehem. Just before you get to the Church of the Nativity, take Beit Sahur road to the left. Go past the area known as Shepherd's Field, and when you come to a junction in the village of Beit Sahur, turn right and head south to Herodium (Herodion), about five miles. (This description is based on tour books and my own recollection of how I got there in 1983. It's a bit sketchy, so be sure to consult a map if you're planning on driving there!
Map showing the location of Herodium.
What does Herodium look like?
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