Where Did the Wisemen Visit King Herod? The Herodium

There are two possible locations of where the wisemen (Magi) visited King Herod the Great, seeking for the newborn King of the Jews:

“Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judæa in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem, Saying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him. When Herod the king had heard these things, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. And when he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together, he demanded of them where Christ should be born. And they said unto him, In Bethlehem of Judæa: for thus it is written by the prophet, ‘And thou Bethlehem, in the land of Juda, art not the least among the princes of Juda: for out of thee shall come a Governor, that shall rule my people Israel [Micah 5:2].’ Then Herod, when he had privily called the wise men, inquired of them diligently what time the star appeared. And he sent them to Bethlehem, and said, Go and search diligently for the young child; and when ye have found him, bring me word again, that I may come and worship him also. When they had heard the king, they departed; and, lo, the star, which they saw in the east, went before them, till it came and stood over where the young child was. When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy.” Matthew 2:1-10.

Possibly one location is called the Herodium. It is a palace-fortress located 3 miles (5 kilometers) southeast of Bethlehem. It was built on a tall hill about 23 to 25 BC, on the site of Herod’s military victory over Mattathias Antigonus who was the last Hasmonean-Maccabee ruler of Judea (in 40 BC). After the Herodium was built, dirt was added around the base hill to give it the formidable cone shape still visible today.

In addition to the fortress/palace there was a Lower Herodium; an external to the fortress complex that included a pool, bathhouse, guest quarters, and a grand hall.

Lastly, Herod built his burial monument on the northern slopes of the Herodium. The below is a picture of what it looked like and the stone coffin that was inside it. During the Jewish Revolt against Rome, 66 to 74 AD., the Jews took control of the Herodium and demolished the tomb of the hated King Herod. Rome recaptured the Herodium in 71 AD, after the fall of Jerusalem.

The second possible location of where the wisemen (Magi) visited King Herod the Great, seeking for the newborn King of the Jews is Herod’s Jerusalem palace. The palace was large and occupied a sizable section of the western hill of Jerusalem city. The western hill was where the wealthy lived. Unfortunately, today the ruins of Herod’s palace are under a Police Station and parking lot of the Armenian Quarter. The section of palace under the parking lot has been excavated but, after the excavation was complete, the ruins were covered over and the parking lot restored. There is no portion of the palace ruins visible today.