A historical site located on the border of the Judean desert, some 8 km east of Bethlehem, this fortified mountain palace was built by king Herod and named in his honor. After Massada, it is the second most famous of the desert fortresses built to ensure his kingdom’s security and his personal safety. The artificial hill was used as a hide-out by the zealots in the Bar Kochba revolt, and later as a Monastery by Byzantine monks.