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A Sea of Lights Inside the Mountain
TISHA B'AV ON HERODION
On Tisha B'Av (the Ninth of Av; this year in August) many hundreds of Jewish worshippers assembled at the ancient synagogue inside the mountain fortress of Herodion in Judea, braving fierce winds after sundown to read the Book of Lamentations by flashlight. Herodion, today a National Monument, was used as a synagogue at the time of the destruction of the Temple and by the Jewish rebels in the Great Revolt against Rome in 70 AD. The custom of prayer at Herodion was begun 17 years ago by Jews from Alon Shvut in the heart of the Etzion Bloc. Among those present this year were MK Hanan Porat from Kfar Etzion and Minister of Immigrant Absorption Yuli Edelstein of Alon Shvut.
THE SEARCH FOR HEROD'S TOMB
Prof. Ehud Netzer of the School of Archeology at Hebrew University has resumed digging at Herodion, the grand palace built by King Herod on a mountaintop southeast of Jerusalem. The archeological excavations had been suspended 10 years ago with the outbreak of the intifada. According to Josephus and other sources, King Herod was buried at Herodion but his tomb has never been found. Netzer also spoke of plans to replant the lush gardens that had existed at the foot of the mountain in Herod's day. (_This Month In Jerusalem_, May '97, p. 14)
CLAIMING OUR JEWISH HOLY PLACES
There are only Jewish antiquities at Herodion National Park, King Herod's palace and a twin to Masada, located just south of Jerusalem and built in 23 BCE. Herodian also served as a Jewish fortress against the Romans in the Great Revolt (66-70 AD) and the Bar Kochba revolt (132-135 AD), and was one of the last to fall.On the evening of 22 August 1995, Herodian was all lit up as over 500 people came to a concert sponsored by the Committee to Protect the Jewish Holy Places in Judea and Samaria. Throughout this area is the largest concentration of such places, which is why so many Jews choose to live here.
The concert included shtetl ballads, a rock band with 3 electric guitars (and all the performers men with _tzitzit_ [ritual fringed garment]), a group from Rabbi Shlomo Carlebach's band from Moshav Modiin, and Yitzhak Fuchs, a fine solo performer.
Throughout the summer there have been special events organized at Herodion by Rabbi David Spector of El David and rebbetzin Hadassah Fruman of Tekoa, including youth activities and treasure hunts, and Jewish learning and prayer.
Herodion is a hollowed-out hill. You have to climb the 2,000-year- old, marble steps to see the palace ruins and the secret passageways used by the Jewish rebels. From the top of Herodion we can see the lights of six Jewish-settled hills on the southeastern approach to Jerusalem -- the communities of Maaleh Amos, Tekoa, Tekoa Bet, El David, Kfar Eldad (old El David), and Herodion itself. Last spring the army removed its presence at Herodion. Soon afterward, the office and generator were burned and other equipment stolen, and the site turned into a training ground for the local Arab militia. The army has now returned to Herodion and a more permanent presence is under construction.
THE HERODION PALACE
Herodion is a magnificent mountain fortress-palace situated in the Judean hills, eight miles southeast of Jerusalem. It was built by King Herod in 23 BCE (_Biblical Archeological Review_, May/June 1983). From the historian Josephus Flavius we learn that Herodion was manned by Jewish fighters at the time of the First Jewish War against the Romans. From documents written by Shimon Bar Kochba found in Judean Desert caves, we also learn that the Bar Kochba fighters were deployed there during the Second Jewish War. An abundance of coins minted during both wars gives further evidence of Jewish presence at Herodion.The First Jewish War against the Romans broke out in 66 CE but did not produce a central personality who could command the confidence of all. Nevertheless, Judea was the only eastern province in the Roman Empire to rebel in that epoch (David Ben-Gurion, _The Jews in Their Land_). With the outbreak of war the mountain-fortress of Herodion was taken over by the Jews. It was one of the last three Jewish fortresses to hold out against the Romans.
The Second Jewish War against Roman rule was fought from 132 to 134 CE. The revolt arose out of the Jews' determination to preserve the Jewish character of the Land. Judea became the center of the revolt and the main rebel force was concentrated there. The military leader of the Jewish rebellion was Shimon Bar Kochba and he was supported by the community's spiritual leader, Rabbi Akiva Ben Yosef.
Bar Kochba's soldiers improved the defensive possibilities of Herodion by digging a system of tunnels inside the mountain, using the Herodion water cisterns (originally installed by Herod) as junction points. These were connected to the outside by a few hidden outlets situated on the steep slopes. All this was unknown to the Romans who were subject to surprise Jewish attacks.
Visitors to Jerusalem are welcome to visit Herodion, a historical site supervised by the Israel National Parks Authority 20 minutes to the south. The site is open to the public, although a guided tour provides a richer experience (one licensed tour guide is Mori Alon of nearby Tekoa, 053-718165).
