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The Fraidees Mountain (Herodion)
Herodion is located 10 kms east of Bethlehem and 15 kms south of Jerusalem. It can be reached via the road that passes Beit Sahur to Takou' village. The mountain rises 758 meters above sea level over- looking Jerusalem and Bethlehem and the Jordan Valley and the Dead Sea. The mountain and most if its buildings were constructed in the Early Roman Period, the reign of Herod the Great (37-4 BC). The work was completed around 20 BC. It is the only work of Herod that bears his name. The palace was inherited by Herod's son Archilaus who governed Palestine between 4 BC and AD 6. After his death the palace was turned to the Roman governors of Palestine. In AD 66, Jewish rebels known as the Zealots took over the mountain and kept it for four years, after which they were defeated by the Romans. The site was then abandoned until AD 132 when yet another Jewish revolt broke out. The Romans crushed this revolt in 135. Between the 4th and 7th centuries AD, the site was settled by a group of Byzantine monks who inhabited the foot of the hill under the Moslem conquest. During the Crusaders' era, agroup of Franciscan crusaders occupied the hill before the Moslems conquered it again. It seems that the recent name of the site has something to do with those Franciscans. The Arabic name "Fraidees" or "Jabal al-Efranj" is similar to the name used by some European travelers, Mountain of the Franks. However, some interpret the name to mean paradise from the Arab term "Fardous". Herodion is a unique archaeological site and one of the greatest architectural achievements of Herod. It is composed of a natural hill on top of which an artificial one has been added. The mountain is conial in shape with a circular castle on the crown. It was utilized as a summer palace, a shelter in times of danger, a regional capital, and a burial place for the King. At the foot of the Fraidees mountain stands a small Arab village called Za'atara, and next to it on the land of the village is a small Jewish military settlement called Takou. Tourists can visit the hill and the tunnels daily between 8:00 - 15:00. The entrance fee to the mountain is about US$ 4. Visiting lower Herodion is free of charge.