Friday, November 21, 2008

HEROD'S TOMB (if that's what it is) has been getting a lot of attention again in the last couple of days. This National Geographic piece covers the essentials and has a nice photo and a video:
New Finds at King Herod's Tomb: 2,000-Year-Old Frescoes
Mati Milstein in Herodium, West Bank
for National Geographic News
November 19, 2008

ON TV Herod's Lost Tomb airs Sunday, November 23, at 9 p.m. ET on the National Geographic Channel. Details >>

Archaeologists exploring King Herod's tomb complex near Jerusalem have uncovered rare Roman paintings as well as two sarcophagi, or stone coffins, that could have contained the remains of Herod's sons.

[...]

New Findings


Netzer revealed new discoveries at a Wednesday press conference in Jerusalem.

Recent excavations uncovered an elaborate theater dating slightly earlier than Herod's burial complex that had been demolished to enable construction of the artificial mountain that served as his tomb.

The walls of the theater's loggia—a balcony that served as a VIP room and viewing box—are decorated with well-preserved Roman paintings of windows and outdoor scenes.

[...]
Note also this LA Times photo of the sarcophagus.

Background here, here, and here.