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Machaerus Project MACHAERUS PROJECT: PRELIMINARY REPORT ON THE 2016-2017 ARCHAEOLOGICAL EXCAVATION SEASONS THAT LED TO THE DISCOVERY OF THE LOST NORTHERN WING IN THE HERODIAN ROYAL PALACE Győző Vörös Introduction (I 11, 4-6) of Eusebius of Caesarea (c. 324 The Memorial of Nabi Yaḥyā ibn Zakarīyā AD). The historical data from the Antiquitates (Saint John the Baptist, Gr. Ἰωάννης ὁ on John’s arrest and jail by Tetrarch Herod the historical place Antipas is attested by all the Gospels; their ,( يحيى بن زكريا .Ar βαπτιστής, where the Christian and Muslim prophet was accounts are consistent with and complement imprisoned and beheaded, is the Herodian royal that of Josephus. The fortified palace and city city of Machaerus, overlooking the Dead Sea of Herod Antipas at the Dead Sea was the only in Transjordan (Vörös 2013 and 2015). This royal palace the Tetrarch inherited from his information which complements the Gospels father, King Herod the Great. The royal court of is not only based on the holy tradition of the the once magnificent Perean citadel, with direct Christian churches, but founded on the first views from its towers to Jerusalem and Jericho, century account of Josephus (Antiquitates was a magnificent choice for the celebrations of Judaicae XVIII 5, 2), the official historian the tragic birthday banquet, the circumstances of the Flavian Dynasty in Rome. The written of which were described in detail by the Gospels evidence of Josephus was also confirmed by the according to Mark (6, 14-29) and Matthew (14, related reference in the Ecclesiastical History 1-12), (Figs. 1-2). 1. The mountain top historical site of Machaerus crowns the horizon, as viewed from the Dead Sea shore of Palestine. The royal eagle’s nest was erected 1100 meters above sea level, and was visible from Masada to Alexandreion. – 435 – ADAJ 59 2. The virgin archaeological site of Machaerus, just before the start of the June 1968 archaeological excavations. View from the northeast. During the three months of our eighth and elements for our ongoing anastylosis project. ninth archaeological seasons, in September- However, the excavations uncovered a October 2016 (Vörös 2017a and 2017b), and previously unknown area of the Herodian royal in September 2017, among other important palace outside the surrounding wall of the Early discoveries, we excavated and surveyed a Roman fortress. previously unknown part of the royal citadel of Machaerus. The Hungarian Academy The Discovery of the Lost Fourth Tower in of Arts, in collaboration with the Studium the Northern-Wing of the Herodian Royal Biblicum Franciscanum, has been conducting Palace through a Comparative Study of archaeological excavations and architectural Aerial Archaeology surveys at this historic site since 2009 (under The late Father Michele Piccirillo (OFM) the directorship of the present author). The wrote the following observation in his 2004 Hungarian members of the last two archaeological internet-description on the Machaerus fortified excavation seasons were: Messrs. Imre Balázs royal castle: “The upper city was composed Arnóczki, Tamás Dobrosi, Tamás Dósa-Papp of the royal palace defended by four towers, and István Őri-Kiss. The Italian fathers from the of which only three have been identified.” Jerusalem Studium Biblicum were: Fr. Amedeo (Piccirillo 2004). He based his important Ricco OFM, Don Gianantonio Urbani and Don scientific observation on the general layout of Stefano Vuaran. The Jordanian Department of Judean Herodian fortresses, which usually had Antiquities (DoA) was represented by Messrs. four towers. The three aerial photographs (Figs. Abdullah al-Bwareed (September 2016), Ahmed 3-5 below) illustrate what occurred during the Ajarmah (October 2016) and Basem Mahamid previous half-a-century of excavations in the (September 2017), respectively. The original Machaerus citadel; the early archaeological intention of the fieldwork was to uncover the excavations impacted on the later missions, as uppermost street of the Herodian lower city in they dumped their excavation detritus on the Machaerus, and collect additional architectural area which overlay the fourth tower. – 436 – G. Vörös: Machaerus Project 2016-2017 3. Aerial photograph taken at the end of 1978, after the first season of the First Franciscan Archaeological Mission. The excavation trenches of the 1968 American Baptist Mission are still untouched and visible, together with the long line of a military rifle pit fire trench from the 1967 War. 4. Kite aerial photograph taken in late 1993 (the camera-rig is clearly visible on the top-right, anchored at the modern dig-house), after the completion of the excavations of the 1992-1993 Second Franciscan Archaeological Mission, led by Michele Piccirillo (OFM). The excavation detritus, including the debris of the central Herodian cistern, is clearly visible on this photograph, deposited over the 2016-2017 excavation area. The first aerial photograph was taken in 1978 surrounding wall of the citadel is not from the (Fig. 3), after the completion of the first season Herodian period (ca. 30 BC – 36 AD), but from for the Franciscan Archaeological Mission, the period of the Early Roman garrison (ca. under the direction of Father Virgilio Corbo. 44 – 71 AD). This explains why they did not We can clearly see the 23 excavation trenches in discover the fourth Herodian fortification tower the center of the citadel, opened as windows to (or fortified bastion) Piccirillo spoke about in the citadel’s hidden past by the 1968 American- 2004. Baptist Mission, and a long military rifle-pit After the death of Fr. Virgilio Corbo (in fire-trench from the period of the 1967 War. The 1991), his former student Fr. Michele Piccirillo 1978 excavation season of the Corbo-mission continued with the Machaerus excavations commenced by excavating around the Biblical begun by his teacher; among other important citadel, to uncover the surrounding wall of the undertakings on the field, he fully excavated fortification. Their next objective was to reveal the 9.5 meter deep Herodian cistern in the the important sacred interior. However, they center of the peristyle Doric royal courtyard. were not aware at that time that the polygonal However, he put his c. 1000 m3 excavation – 437 – ADAJ 59 5. Helicopter photograph (APAAME_ 20171001_REB-0083) taken on 1 October 2017, immediately after the completion of our 2016-2017 archaeological excavation sea- sons. In the right-bottom corner of the early morning shot, the previ- ously unknown wing of the Hero- dian royal palace is clearly ob- servable (together with the refilled ritual pools and the cistern). debris almost entirely above the area of the ing of the Early Roman garrison’s citadel-gate unexcavated, unknown, and since 71 AD towards the lower city, which is visible on both completely forgotten, fourth fortification tower. the third aerial photograph and the architectural The second aerial photograph from 1993 (Fig. drawings. Even though the gate is poorly pre- 4) illustrates the surface-modifications on the served, the meeting point of the Hasmonean and Machaerus citadel since 1978. (later reused) Herodian wall with the polygonal The third aerial photograph (Fig. 5), taken Early Roman surrounding wall clearly indicates from the same angle as the previous two, was its original place. This is the exact location taken on 1 October 2017, immediately after where the Zealots separated themselves from the last day of the 2016-2017 archaeological the goy-gentiles, as described by Josephus: “As excavations in this lost wing of the Herodian for the Jews that were caught in this place, they royal palace. It proves that this area consists separated themselves from the strangers that of three halls and a huge fortification tower, were with them, and they forced those strang- with Hasmonean foundations, which had been ers, as an otherwise useless multitude, to stay in converted into a monumental royal bath and the lower part of the city, and undergo the prin- cistern-reservoir during the Herodian period. cipal dangers, while they themselves seized on The horizontal and vertical stratigraphies, the upper citadel, and held it, and this both on together with chronological identification of account of its strength, and to provide for their the three subsequent building-periods, can own safety. They also supposed they might ob- be discerned on the season drawings (Figs. tain their pardon, in case they should [at last] 6-11). We have also completed graphic and surrender the citadel.” (Bellum Judaicum VII photographic documentation of the three 6, 4) newly discovered plastered constructions (the two ritual baths and the cistern), which were The Discoveries of the Five Machaerus then covered with GEOTEXTILE covers Immersion Baths Outside the Herodian and backfilled, to preserve them for future Royal Bathhouse (from 1968, 1980, 1981, generations, and to ensure they will remain in 2016 and 2017). good condition for presentation or restoration In June 1968, during the first excavation in the future. conducted at the ancient ruins of this Biblical One of the important discoveries of our citadel, the American Baptist Archaeological 2016-2017 excavation seasons was the unearth- Mission (led by the Baptist Minister E. Jerry – 438 – G. Vörös: Machaerus Project 2016-2017 6. Ground floor plan of the Machaerus citadel, illustrating the 2016-2017 excavation trenches. – 439 – ADAJ 59 7. Detailed ground floor plan of the Fortress of King Alexander Jannaeus. – 440 – G. Vörös: Machaerus Project 2016-2017 8. Detailed ground floor plan of the fortified Herodian Royal Palace. – 441 – ADAJ 59 9. Detailed ground floor plan of the fortress in the early Roman period. – 442 – G. Vörös: Machaerus Project 2016-2017 10. Detailed ground floor plan of the 2016-2017 excavation area. – 443 – ADAJ 59 11. Ground floor plan of the Machaerus citadel. – 444 – G. Vörös: Machaerus Project 2016-2017 Vardaman) discovered and identified the mikveh outside the bathhouse; however, unlike apodyterium and caldarium halls of the Early that found by the American Baptist mission, it Roman bathhouse at Machaerus.
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