Page 40 - Bible Geography and Near East Studies - Textbook w videos short

In Jerusalem, Herod built new (and larger) city walls, constructed the
Antonia Fortress (named after Mark Antony) and the Temple itself.
Jewish resentment to Herod is reflected by the way Jewish historians
refer to Herod’s Temple as a “remodeled” version of the temple
Zerubbabel built during the era of Ezra and Nehemiah. In reality, it was a
completely new Temple that far surpassed the smaller temple he
replaced. Herod enlarged the Temple Mount by 50 percent. The Temple
Mount is an artificial platform built upon the rocky peak of Jerusalem’s
hills. By Jewish tradition, this is “Mount Moriah.”

There were other building projects in Jerusalem, including a new market,
amphitheater, theater, a structure for the Sanhedrin and his own royal
palace. Archaeologists are still discovering the ruins of what Herod built
in Jerusalem.

Herod also built palaces, fortresses, markets, athletic stadiums and at
least one entire city throughout Israel. Some of his building projects
were completed in other countries. Herod built massive homes for himself in Jerusalem, Caesarea,
Sebaste, Jericho, and at the mountain fortresses of Masada, Machaerus and the Herodium.

Herodium Machaerus Masada

Herod’s crowning achievement was the new port city of Caesarea he named in honor of Emperor
Augustus. This magnificent and opulent city was dedicated in 9 BC. The city was laid out on a Greek grid
plan, with a market, an aqueduct, government offices, baths, villas, a circus, and several pagan temples.
The man-made port was a stunning masterpiece of engineering that included a use of ancient concrete
that hardened under water.

In spite of all the beautiful buildings he offered the Jewish people, Herod was greatly hated by the
people he ruled. The Sadducees hated him because he had ended the family dynasty that had given
them much more power. The Pharisees despised him for his immoral behavior. Herod built pagan
temples in multiple locations around Israel, bowed to pagan gods in Rome and practiced open sexual
immorality. He certainly did not claim to abide by the teachings of the Torah. The masses also hated
him, despite the fact that so many gained their livelihoods from his financing. Taxes were extremely
high, in part because tax collectors were allowed to extort even more money than Rome demanded.

Herod never hesitated to use Roman military force to subdue a suspected rebellion or threat to his
authority.

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