Bible Encyclopedias
Machaerus

International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

ma - kē´rus ( Μαχαιροῦς , Machairoús ): Not mentioned in Scripture, canonical or apocryphal, but its importance in Jewish history justifies its inclusion here. Pliny ( NH , Acts 20:16 , 72) speaks of it as, after Jerusalem, the strongest of Jewish fortresses. It was fortified by Alexander Janneus (BJ , VII, vi, 2). It was taken and destroyed by Gabinius (ibid., I, viii, 5; Ant. , XIV , v, 4). Herod the Great restored it and, building a city here, made it one of his residences (BJ , VII, vi, 1, 2). It lay within the tetrarchy assigned to Antipas at the death of Herod. The wife of Antipas, daughter of Aretas, privately aware of his infidelity, asked to be sent hither (Ant. , XVIII , v, 1). Here Josephus has fallen into confusion if he meant by the phrase "a place in the borders of the dominions of Aretas and Herod" that it was still in Herod's hands, since immediately he tells us that it was "subject to her father." It was natural enough, however, that a border fortress should be held now by one and now by the other. It may have passed to Aretas by some agreement of which we have no record; and Herod, unaware that his wife knew of his guilt, would have no suspicion of her design in wishing to visit her father. If this is true, then the Baptist could not have been imprisoned and beheaded at Macherus (ibid., 2). The feast given to the lords of Galilee would most probably be held at Tiberias; and there is nothing in the Gospel story to hint that the prisoner was some days' journey distant (Mark 6:14 ff). The citadel was held by a Roman garrison until 66 AD, which then evacuated it to escape a siege ( BJ , II, xviii, 6). Later by means of a stratagem it was recovered for the Romans by Bassus, circa 72 AD (BJ , VII, vi, 4).

The place is identified with the modern Mkaur , a position of great strength on a prominent height between Wādy Zerḳā Ma‛ı̄n and Wādy el - Mōjib , overlooking the Dead Sea. There are extensive ruins.