Herodion
The
site of Herodion, the fortress and burial place of the Edomite King Herod,
lies 10 km east of Bethlehem. It can be reached via the road that passes
Beit Sahour to Taqu' village. The mountain rises 758 meters above seal
level overlooking Jerusalem and Bethlehem and commanding a view of the
Judean Wilderness and the Dead Sea. The mountain and most of the buildings
at the site were constructed in the Early Roman period, particularly during
the reign of Herod the Great (37 - 4 BC). The work was completed around
20 BC. It is the only work of Herod that bears his name; later on it became
his mausoleum. The Arabic name, Jabal AL Freidees, is similar to the name
used by some European travelers, Mountain of the Franks. Others interpret
the name Freidees to mean paradise derived from the Arabic "Fardous": a
name referring to the magnificent garden that was built by Herod at the
foot of the hill.
Archaeological excavations at the site have
uncovered many buildings belonging to different eras whether on the hill
or at its foot. An elaborate water system and 15 meter deep wells were
also discovered. There is also a big water basin, to which water was brought
on the backs of animals from the foot of the hill. Secret tunnels used
for escape in case of danger were also uncovered. Complete bathrooms belonging
to the Roman times, churches, buildings, and other archaeological remains
of successive eras, particularly the Byzantine, were also found. At the
foot of the mountain, Herod built a grand Roman garden 110 X 145 meters
square. The center of the garden was occupied by a big pool (70 X 45 meters).
It is believed that the pool was used for swimming and sailing of small
boats and as a strategic storage of water. Out of the prominent discoveries
in these parts are a number of palaces and their annexes most of which
are concentrated around the pool. These belonged to Herod's family, his
friends, and the employees of his administration.
At the peripheries of this building there
is a 350- meter long road. Archaeologists think that it was built especially
for the purpose of the funeral ceremony of Herod. However, the tomb itself
remains undiscovered.
The Dome of the Rock
The walled city of Jerusalem, the so-called
Old City, is a tightly woven tissue of narrow, sometimes tortuous streets
and buildings, with private houses and shops for the most part, but also
religious and secular monuments . One building dominates the view of the
Old City, "The Dome of the Rock". It does so primarily because of its height,
but also because it appears to be independent of everything else around
it because in this city of stones it alone is roofed with what looks like
gold while its walls shine with tiles of many colors. Because of its location
as well as its dimensions, it strikes a posture of visual control over
much of the city and the surrounding valleys and hills. Although frequently
repaired and restored the Dome of the Rock is today strikingly similar
to what it must have been when first built in the last decade of the seventh
century.
The Dome of the Rock is a great monument of
world architecture. It occupies the center of a 1.5 million-square-foot
esplanade in the Old City. Built in 692 AD/ 72 AH, this outstanding building
enshrines the Sacred Rock - one of the several ridges around which the
city of Jerusalem developed nearly 3000 years ago. The mosque has reflected
and represented Islam through most of its 1300 year history, but it is
also associated with sacred events in the lives of Christ, the Virgin and
Christian Saints, and Jewish historical traditions and memories. Its specific
importance to Islam is that it commemorates one of the richest and most
complicated moments in the life of the Prophet Mohammad - his Night Journey
(The Isra' or flight from Mecca to Jerusalem) and his Ascension (Mi'raj)
into heaven.
Today, the Dome and its area are used primarily
in two ways. The first of these is private devotions through prayer, commemorative
meditation, and gatherings for listening to formal sermons or sacred stories.
The second function of the area is as a place of pilgrimage to which faithful
Muslims have come more or less continuously since the tenth century, either
as part of the canonical obligation to visit the three holy places of Mecca,
Medina, and Jerusalem at lease once in one's lifetime, or as a regional
center for more limited visitations on specific occasions.
For a more detailed
description and information see: Nusseibeh, Said and Grabar, Oleg. The
Dome of theRock. London: Thames and Hudson, 1996.