Machaerus
| مكاور | |
Panoramic view of Machaerus with the Dead Sea in the background.
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 Shown within Jordan
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| Location | Madaba Governorate, Jordan |
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| Region | Perea |
| Coordinates | 31°34′2″N 35°37′27″E / 31.56722°N 35.62417°ECoordinates: 31°34′2″N 35°37′27″E / 31.56722°N 35.62417°E |
| Type | Fortification |
| History | |
| Builder | Alexander Jannaeus |
| Founded | Approximately 90 BC |
| Abandoned | Approximately 72 AD |
| Periods | Hellenistic to Roman Empire |
Machaerus (Μαχαιροῦς, from Ancient Greek: μάχαιρα "Makhaira" (a sword); Arabic: ِقلعة مكاور Qal'atu Mkawer) is a fortified hilltop palace located in Jordan 25 km (16 mi) southeast of the mouth of the Jordan river on the eastern side of the Dead Sea. According to Flavius Josephus, it is the location of the imprisonment and execution of John the Baptist. According to the chronology of the Bible (Mark 6:24; Matthew 14:8), this infamous execution took place in 32 AD shortly before the Passover, following an imprisonment of two years. The site also provides the setting for four additional New Testament characters: Herod The Great; his son, Tetrach Herod Antipas; his second wife, Princess Herodias, and her daughter, Princess Salome.
The fortress Machaerus was originally built by the Hasmonean king, Alexander Jannaeus (104 BC-78 BC) in about the year 90 BC, serving an important strategic position. Its high, rocky vantage point was difficult to access, and invasions from the east could be easily spotted from there. It was also in line of sight of other Hasmonean (and later Herodian) citadels, so other fortresses could be signaled if trouble appeared on the horizon. Nevertheless, it was destroyed by Pompey's general Gabinius in 57 BC, but later rebuilt by Herod the Great in 30 BC to be used as a military base to safeguard his territories east of the Jordan.
Upon the death of Herod the Great, the fortress was passed to his son, Herod Antipas, who ruled from 4 BC until 39 AD. It was during this time, at the beginning of the first century AD, that John the Baptist was imprisoned and beheaded at Machaerus.
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