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If you
continue your ride on the King's Highway after leaving
Madaba and turn right at Libb, you eventually arrive at
Machaerus, the homeland of Bani Hamida tribe And the
castle of Herod the Great where John the Baptist was
beheaded by Herod Antipas. On top of the hill you can
see the magnificent view of the Dead Sea, and the West
Bank.
 On a clear night you can easily make out the
lights of al-Quds (Jerusalem) and Ariha (Jericho). Far
removed from the tourist circuit, the quiet of this area
transports you back into Biblical times. Indeed,
shepherds and their flocks still find shelter in the
myriad caves and grottoes around Machaerus. This area is
great for hiking especially going down towards the Dead
Sea.
There is
nowhere to stay in Machaerus and only a few basic
grocery stores so one should bring his own provisions.
The greatest attraction of Machaerus is the stunning
panoramic view it presents of the surrounding
countryside, the Dead Sea, and the West Bank.
Castle Mechaerus
known to the locals as qala'at al Meshneq.
It's about 2 km away from the village, first built by
the Hasmonean ruler Alexander Jannaeus (103-76 BC) to
defend Perea against the expansionist Nabataeans. His
widow Alexandra, confident of the site's holiness,
stored her treasure here - to no avail, as the Romans
destroyed it in 63 BC. It was restored then by Herod the
Great (37-4 BC). There is a number of caves near the
main hill one of which is believed to be the place where
the execution of john the Baptist took place, it is
said, the beautiful Salomé
 danced for Herod Antipas, who
presented her with the head of the Prophet Yahya or John
the Baptist to honor her wishes. According to Matthew
14: 9-12, "The king was sad, but because of the promise
he had made in front of all his guests, he gave orders
that her wish be granted. So he had John beheaded in
prison. The head was brought in on a plate to the girl,
who took it to her mother."
The
Bani Hamida Center, is where you can see Bani
Hamida tribe women weaving
and buy beautiful hand made rugs, wall hangings,
pottery, jewelry, some items are made using traditional
looms and colored with natural dyes and other
knick-knacks (there is another outlet in the capital
Amman). |
