Ongoing excavation at the Judean Desert hilltop known as Herodion has recently uncovered two additional sarcophagi which likely belonged to members of Herod's family. This discovery, by archaeologists from the Hebrew University, comes just a year and a half after the discovery of a tomb thought to be that of King Herod at the site and further strengthens the identification of the site of Herod's grave.

Herod the Great, the Roman-appointed king of Judea from 37 to 4 BCE, was renowned for his many monumental building projects which included the rebuilding of the Temple in Jerusalem, the palace at Masada, the harbor and city of Caesarea and the sprawling palatial complex at Herodion, 15 km. south of the capital.

The dig at the site, which is being directed by Hebrew University Professor Ehud Netzer, has determined that the mausoleum where Herod's sarcophagus was unearthed had been a lavish, two-story structure with an approximately 25-meter-high, concave-conical roof appropriate for someone of Herod's status and taste..

The excavations had also unearthed two additional sarcophagi, which likely belonged to members of Herod's family. "It turns out that Herod was not the only person to have been buried there," Netzer said at the press conference where the latest finds were presented.

The latest excavations have also uncovered the remains of a small theater, with seats for about 700 spectators and a VIP room at the top. The theater was decorated with wall paintings and plaster moldings dated to 15-10 BCE, known to have existed in Rome and elsewhere but which had never before been found in Israel. The theater and the VIP room had been destroyed to make way for the Herodion, which was apparently built at the very end of Herod's reign.

According to Netzer, Herod chose the location of the mausoleum because it overlooked Jerusalem, determined to make it the crowning glory of his outstanding building career. In all, the site includes a huge palatial complex (the largest of its kind in the Roman world at the time), the theater, and a 2,000 year-old complex of large pool, baths and gardens, in addition to the mausoleum.  

Visitors to the fortress of Herodion, located outside Bethlehem on an artificial hill, can tour the excavations that include the remains of Herod's private castle, courtyards and bathhouses, a synagogue built during the Great Revolt and a complex network of tunnels built by Jewish fighters during the time of the Bar Kochva Revolt. An exhibition of the Herodion findings is planned for the Israel Museum in 2010.

For additional information regarding visitation hours to the Herodion National Park, go to the National Park's website.