Fortress
Machaerus
muh-KEER-us · Modern Mukawir, Madaba Governorate, Jordan · 31.5672° N, 35.6242° E
Machaerus was a Hasmonean-built, Herod-rebuilt hilltop fortress-palace east of the Dead Sea. In the Gospel account, Herod Antipas imprisoned and later executed John the Baptist there at the request of Herodias and Salome (Matthew 14:1-12; Mark 6:14-29).
Archaeology
Excavations from 1968 and expanded 2009-2018 uncovered the Herodian royal palace, courtyards, a bath complex, and cisterns. The site's identification as the location of John the Baptist's execution rests on the 1st-century historian Josephus, who explicitly names Machaerus as John's prison — the Gospels narrate the beheading but do not name the fortress, so this is extra-biblical historical corroboration, broadly accepted by scholars.
On a modern map
Further reading
Reflect
From Machaerus's dungeon, John sent Jesus his honest question: 'Are you the one?' — can you bring your doubts to God that directly?
More sites
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