Machaerus and the Dead Sea

July 9, 2023 by admin

High above the Dead Sea sits a windswept barren wasteland that seems to be far removed from the natural world. In this post we trace my footsteps from my swimming in the Dead Sea to the Judean Fortress of Machaerus where John the Baptist lost his head.

For more information on St. John, visit the site of the baptism of Jesus, the Bethel on the Jordan River or stop in Madaba St. John the Baptist Roman Catholic Church

Enjoying the Dead Sea (Grand East)
Dead Sea Museum
Ma’In Hot Springs and the Wadi
Muqāwir Village
Machaerus Fortress
Back Down to the Dead Sea

Enjoying the Dead Sea (Grand East)

After a long time on the road exploring the treasure of Egypt it was nice to make it out to the Dead Sea. My hotel was fairly typical of the north coast resorts on the Jordanian side of the sea. The Grand East Hotel has its own beach, a pool and many amenities as well as a fantastic view of the sea itself.

From my balcony I had the chance to catch the sunset creating a fantastic impression upon the water, before realizing that I was loosing daylight.

With the sun fading fast it was time for a swim before nightfall! So I headed down a walkway to to beach. Here on the rocky shore, the sea awaited me. It was February so I had the beach practically to myself!

Walking into the water, I noticed that the water is so salty and viscous that it almost sticks to you. You will definitely need a shower afterwards your swim but I’ll be damned if it isn’t a lot of fun!

Swimming in the Dead Sea is not something I expected to enjoy so much, but I was so much fun! Any position you put yourself in you will float back to the top instantly, something I tried to do many times! I have included a video below of me just floating around but be forewarned it is easy to get salt water in your eyes while in the water. I am such a spaz that I splashed water my eyes and tried to whip it out with my salty hands!

After swimming I needed some food so I made it out to a Jordanian McDonalds knockoff called Chili Ways. I had to include a daytime pictures as it was too dark to get a good shot! There I leaded up on burgers and made my way back! This particular chain was started by a Jordanian with US fast food experience and Jordan is known for its knockoff businesses, something I love about the country!

Chili Ways (Credit: Tuaimeh Tuaimeh, Google Maps August 2019)

Dead Sea Museum

From the hairpin switchback roadway heading up into the mountains you will get a fantastic view, an incredible driving experience if there ever was one!

Eventually you will cross over onto a deserter plateau heading towards the Dead Sea Museum.

The Dead Sea Museum and Panorama sits on a ledge overlooking the Sea of the same name. Outside the modern building variety of plants have been planted.

The Museum is dedicated to the ecology of the sea and at its exterior you will find outdoor patios looking out onto the mountains and a round lookout at the edge of a precipitous cliff on the sea.

Warning signs will tell you to stay away from the edge, adding to the thrill of being up so high above the sea. The panorama really gives you an oversight of the landscape.

The best look from the panorama is due south where cake like rock formations mass onto the sea.

Here are a few more pictures for your review!

Ma’In Hot Springs and the Wadi

Half way between the Fortress of Machaerus and the Dead Sea Panorama (Museum) you will find a deep gorge heading towards the Dead Sea. To cross over you will have to drive both up and down tight switchbacks.

At the bottom of this gorge you will find the Ma’In Hot Springs, a famous spa known for its hot mineral springs and waterfalls. I didn’t stay here but it may be of interest to some of you! The gorge itself is lush, green and in contrast with any of the desertic vegetation you will find up in the upper mountain ranges.

The mountain range is rather impressive if you get the chance to drive around it! For those staying in the canyon in certain parts of the year you can hide up and down the Wadi to the Dead Sea itself.

Muqāwir Village

The small arab village in front of the legendary fortress is quite the zig-zaging drive from Ma’in, the torturous road makes its way around the hills until settling in an a rocky plateau.

It is on this plateau, up on a ridge, that you will see the village in the distance.

The village on the plateau is located to the east of the mountain with the fortress and by the look of the old stone houses grouped together, once an integral part of the remote settlement before the construction of newer dwellings. and ruins

You will find plenty of the ruined huts around an in one instance a modern home had the foundation of a an ancient church in his rear yard.

The road to the fortress is quite narrow and there is little for guardrails. You will eventually pass the Bani Hamida Weaving Center & Gallery, a museum dedicated to the history of local rug making.

From the roadway you will eventually see the flat peak of Machaerus fortress.

Machaerus Fortress

The coolest part of this leg of the trip is that we were the only ones at Machaerus, a destination I had heard about from watching the history channel. From the look of things it is hard to see what the fuss was about as there is little left of the Judean palace that once graced its slopes.

We pulled into the empty parking lot (again empty! this place really is remote) and decided to get a panoramic shot of the heritage site.

The parking lot is located 1.6km from the fortress so you will have to take the gravel ramp up to its summit, a rather pleasant walk that is not too hard on the body.

On your way up to the fortress you will find plenty of ancient caves habitations that you can peak your head through.

Even from part way up the mountain the scenery is fantastic.

At the summit you will find the final remains of the building that housed the imprisonment and execution of John the Baptist. He would have been executed in 32 A.D after two years in a cell.

Even if you are far inland you can see the dead see from up here on a clear day.

Again, I still cant believe that a site of this kind of importance was empty. The pictures can”t do it justice but this place is really an underrated gem. On the ground around you, you will see the remains of columns pilled up on the ground as well as pottery shards littering the ground as well as better grades fit for the statue of the building of stone such what I think was marble.

The fortress was completed by the Hasmonean king, Alexander Jannaeus (104 BC-78 BC) in about the year 90 BC. The Hasmoneans were a ruling dynasty of Judea that predates the Roman Conquest of Israel and the ascendancy of Herod the Great as a client king of Rome. The site was prized for its position of the east of the Jordan, overlooking the dead sea. Due to its remote location it was though to be impregnable. Perched high up it could warn the Jewish kings of an invasion from the east. This was made possible due to the fact that the castle was within signalling distance/line of sight of other Hasmonean citadels.

The fortress was first destroyed by the Romans in 57 B.C and was later rebuilt by Herod the Great in 30 B.C in order to safeguard his territories east of the Jordan River. It was Herod who would make this castle more like a palace adding baths and gardens. From the columns found on site we can see that this was more than a more stone block fortress. He would also install a grand courtyard where Salome danced, as seen later.

In 4 B.C his son Herod Antipas took over from his father, setting in motion of of the most dramatic events in the forts history – as well as in the Gospels. Herod Antipas would marry his half-brother’s wife, Herodias who he took on as his mistress after stealing here from Herod II in Rome. This marriage was condemned by John the Baptist. At Machaerus, Herodias’s daughter Salome danced for her step-father, which pleased the drunken king so much and when when she was done he offered to grant anything she asked. In turn she asked her mother what she would want and they demanded that John the Baptist’s “head on a platter”, a cruel beheading. This act was alright with Herod as John had attracted a significant following and could be a treat to lead a rebellion against his rule. For reference John the Baptist was Jesus’s mentor, a man that Herod Antipas would also kill.

In 39 AD, Machaerus passed to Herod Agrippa I and it in 44A.D it passed to Roman Control. It was taken in 66 A.D during the First Jewish Revolt. The fortress would be besieged in 72 A.D by Lucilius Bassus. To capture it an embankment and ramp were created in order to facilitate the task. The defenders surrendered and the building was torn down so they could not re-use it! Hence why there is so little of it left today! From my own simple observation, the neck-like ramp that you cross to get to the mountain today may be a leftover from the roman siege but I would need to confirm this.

Archaeological digs began here during the early 19th century and continue to this day.

When you are done exploring the site head back down to your car parked in the lot below!

Back Down to the Dead Sea

Barreling down towards the sea, I could feel the pressure drop in my ears. What a view to see the landscape open up before me.

Once back down The coastal drive along the sea itself is beautiful, a series of rock faces lining the slowing dropping water level. The sea is dying and will need more water to sustain itself.