The dramatic entrance to King Herod’s 2,000-year-old palace has been discovered in Israel.
Archaeologists have found a colossal arched corridor leading to a magnificant entrance hall covered with frescoes during excavations at Herodium.
The hilltop fort, ten miles south of Jerusalem, was built to celebrate Herod’s victory over the Parthians from what is now northeastern Iran.
Built in about 20BC, the complex system of arches spans the corridor’s width on three separate levels, preserving the passage, which is 20m long and 6m wide (66x20ft) to a height of 20 metres.
The excavations found evidence that the vestibule was occupied by Jewish rebels during the Great Revolt of AD66-71. The arched corridor contained hidden tunnels dug by rebels from the second century AD as they waged