Machaerus

Late one afternoon in the spring of 1994, our team decided to squeeze in one more site before calling it a day. Rambling due south on the desert highway that runs parallel to the Dead Sea, the sky began to turn fuchsia and pink. The sun transformed from a white glare into a bright orange ball resting on the horizon. With each mile the display became more dramatic. Suddenly, silhouetted against that dazzling orb were tiny columns atop a distant tel. There before us, far removed from any village or tourist trap, sat the ancient fortress palace of Machaerus. According to the first century historian Josephus, it was here that Herod Antipas had John the Baptist beheaded.

We parked our van at the base of the tel and began climbing the trail to the fortress. Along the eastern slope were remnants of walls and towers that made up the lower city. Traces of an aqueduct coming into the palace emerged from the ground. When we reached the palace ruins, it felt as though we had arrived at the top of the world. At 3,600 feet above sea level, by far the highest point in the region, the view was endless. Directly behind the mount, the Dead Sea seemed to glow casting a rose colored hue on the surrounding hills. A stone paved area about 330 feet by 200 feet covered a portion of the top of the tel. Evidence of turrets remained at the three corners of the castle. Several white columns stood as sentinels guarding the last earthly place John saw before his spirit ascended to his eternal reward. There was almost a spectral feel as we stood absolutely alone watching in silence the last rays of fading light.

With this being one of my most memorable moments in all my trips to Jordan, you can imagine my excitement this past spring when I was told that we were going back to Machaerus. Since that 1994 trip, archaeologists have discovered a dungeon under the floor of the palace! Many believe this was where John was held in his final days. Not only did we need photos of the cell, there were other areas we were not able to photograph the first trip because of the diminishing light.

The dungeon was a particular challenge to shoot. Wooden planks had been placed over the hole to protect anyone from falling in. We slid a couple of the planks off the gaping darkness and laid across the others with our faces and cameras hanging off the edge. It took awhile for my eyes to adjust. My guess would be that the smooth walls of the pit decended about 3 stories and the floor space was about 7 feet square. Talk about your solitary confinement! A rickety homemade ladder was tied to the wall of the prison. It started at the top of the hole and ended about 2 stories short of the bottom. For the sake of a few photos, the archaeologist that was with our team got gutsy enough to climb part way down, hanging on to the ladder with one hand and a camera with the other. If he does things like that very often, I hope his wife has his life insurance paid up.

I promise to post photos with this entry soon. If you want to know more about John the Baptist's imprisonment and death, check out the gospel of Mark, chapter 6, verses 14-29.