Machaerus

Machaerus is an ancient fortress built on a hilltop with views over the Dead Sea in Madaba Governorate. The site includes towers, walls, and a palace complex with a courtyard where columns have been re-erected through modern restoration work.

King Alexander Jannaeus built the first fortress on this hill in 90 BCE. Herod the Great rebuilt it about 60 years later as his easternmost stronghold, adding a palace and bath complex.

The name comes from the Greek word for sword, referring to the blade shape of the hill when seen from above. Visitors today can walk through the bath complex and see the oldest floor mosaics in the country, decorated with geometric patterns from the time of Herod.

The climb to the summit follows a steep path that can be demanding on hot days. Reconstructed columns in the courtyard and the thermal bath area help visitors understand the original layout of the palace.

According to the historian Flavius Josephus, John the Baptist was held prisoner here in 32 CE. The fortress served as his jail before he was executed on the orders of Herod Antipas.