Herod's tomb discovered

Herod's tomb has been discovered at Herodium (12 km south of Jerusalem). The discovery of the grave solves one of the great mysteries of archaeology in the Land of Israel. The tomb was discovered by Professor Ehud Netzer of the Hebrew University, who is considered one of the leading experts on King Herod.

Netzer has conducted archeological digs at Herodium since 1972 in an attempt to locate the grave and tomb. Herodium, a fortified palace built by Herod some 12 kilometers south of Jerusalem, was destroyed by the Romans in 71 CE.Hordes, also known as Herod I or Herod the Great, was a Roman client-king of Judaea (ca. 74 BC - ca. 4 BC in Jerusalem).

The details of his biography can best be gleaned from the works of the 1st century AD Jewish historian Josephus. To many people, Herod is best known for his role in the events known as the Massacre of the Innocents, an account of which is given in Chapter 2 of the Gospel According to Matthew.

Herod is particularly known for his dramatic expansion of the Second Temple in Jerusalem which is sometimes referred to as Herod's Temple. (Israel national News, 5/8/07)