West Bank and Herodion

This panorama of the West Bank shows major Israeli settlements like Ma'ale Adumim near Jerusalem and more recent ones like Har Homa and Har Gilo in the southern West Bank. These settlements are interspersed between such Palestinian towns as Bethlehem, Bet Jala, Bet Sahur and Tsur Baher, a Palestinian neighborhood on the southeastern outskirts of East Jerusalem.

Photo of new construction of apartments in the Israeli occupied West Bank.  There are 126 Israeli settlements in the West Bank (excluding East Jerusalem), according to the September 2016 report from the Israeli Central Bureau of Statistics. Geographically, these settlements are all across the West Bank. Most settlers live in what are called the "settlement blocs." 

More construction of new Israeli settlement below Herodion

Sign denoting road to housing in the Palestinian Authority "Area A" off limits to Israelis.  The Oslo Accord II divided the West Bank into three administrative divisions: the Areas A, B and C. The distinct areas were given a different status, according to their governance pending a final status accord: Area A is exclusively administered by the Palestinian Authority, Area B are administered by both the Palestinian Authority and Israel, and Area C, which contains the Israeli settlements is administered by Israel. Areas A and B were chosen in such a way as to just contain Palestinians, by drawing lines around Palestinian population centers at the time the Agreement was signed; all areas surrounding the Areas A and B were defined as Area C.  Area A comprises approximately 18% of the West Bank and Area B about 22%, together home to some 2.8 million Palestinians.  As of 2015, Area C is home to 150,000 Palestinians in 532 residential areas. It also is home to 389,250 Israelis, in 135 settlements.  

Herod the Great built this monumental fortress and palace named Herodian on the highest hill in the Judean desert, nine miles south of Jerusalem. Herod was buried in the site which bore his name. The site was later a rebel stronghold and hiding place during the great revolts against the Romans. 

The eastern tower is the largest of the four towers.  The tower  expands into the inner section, its base is blocked, and it used to stand high above the fortress.

Herod built underground access to large cisterns  

The tunnels were prepared by the rebels of the Bar-Kochva revolt (132-135 CE). They curved the network of tunnels and stairs in parallel to the water supply system that was built by Herod. These tunnels were used for hiding.

The search for Herod's tomb was one of the greatest archaeological quests. On the north-eastern side of the fortress is the stairway that connects the lower city to the main entrance of the fortress. Archaeologists settled on this this stairway as the site of Herod's tomb.