The hilltop palace, its main entrance facing Jerusalem, was Herod's favourite. It was the only one he named after himself and where he chose to be buried, said Roi Porat, the Hebrew University archaeologist in charge of the excavations. A mere burial plot, however, would not have satisfied Herod, who wanted his final place of rest to overshadow his palace. "That's why he covered the mountain, including the palace, to emphasise it," said Eran Kruzel of the Nature and Parks Authority.
AFP