Machaerus

Hastings' Dictionary of the New Testament

Machaerus. —A fortress on the east of the Dead Sea, in which, according to Josephus ( Ant. xviii. v. 2), John the Baptist was imprisoned and put to death by Herod Antipas ( Matthew 14:3-12,  Mark 6:17-29,  Luke 3:19). It had been originally fortified by Alexander Jannaeus (Josephus Bj vii. vi. 2), and afterwards destroyed by Gabinius ( ib. i. viii. 5; Ant. xiv. v. 4). It was restored by Herod the Great, who used it as a residence ( Bj vii. vi. 1, 2.). On his death it passed into the hands of Antipas, as it lay in the Peraean portion of his tetrarchy. At the time of the Jewish revolt it was occupied by a Roman garrison, which was constrained to abandon it in a.d. 66 ( ib. ii. xviii. 6). After the fall of Jerusalem it was recaptured, and finally destroyed by the Roman general Lucilius Bassus ( ib. vii. vi. 4). The ruins, called Mkawr , on a projecting height near the Dead Sea on its eastern side, are supposed to mark the site of the fortress.

Literature.—Hasting's Dictionary of the Bible, art. ‘Machaerus,’ and the Lit. there cited; to wh. add Pre [Note: Re Real-Encyklopädie fur protest. Theologic und Kirche.] 3 [Note: designates the particular edition of the work referred] ix. 326 f.

James Patrick.

Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible

Machã†Rus. A place E. of the Dead Sea, fortified by Alexander Jannæus, and greatly enlarged and strengthened by Herod the Great (Jos. [Note: Josephus.] Bj Vii. vi. 1). According to Josephus, the daughter of Aretas retired to this place when she left the higamous Antipas. He describes it as ‘in the borders of the dominions of Aretas and Herod,’ and then ‘subject to her father’ ( Ant . Xviii. v. 1). He goes on to say that here John was imprisoned and beheaded (  Matthew 14:10 ff. etc.). If it was then subject to Aretas, this is at least curious. The fortress was one of the last taken by the Romans in the war of independence ( Bj Ii. xviii. 6, 7. 6.). It is identified with the ruin of Mukâwer , on the height about half-way between Wâdy Zerka Ma‘în and Wâdy el-Môjib .

W. Ewing.

Holman Bible Dictionary

 Mark 1:5 Matthew 3:1 John 3:22-23 Mark 6:29

Easton's Bible Dictionary

 Mark 6:14-29

International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

ma - kē´rus ( Μαχαιροῦς , Machairoús ): Not mentioned in Scripture, canonical or apocryphal, but its importance in Jewish history justifies its inclusion here. Pliny ( Nh ,  Acts 20:16 , 72) speaks of it as, after Jerusalem, the strongest of Jewish fortresses. It was fortified by Alexander Janneus ( Bj , Vii, vi, 2). It was taken and destroyed by Gabinius (ibid., I, viii, 5; Ant. , Xiv , v, 4). Herod the Great restored it and, building a city here, made it one of his residences ( Bj , Vii, vi, 1, 2). It lay within the tetrarchy assigned to Antipas at the death of Herod. The wife of Antipas, daughter of Aretas, privately aware of his infidelity, asked to be sent hither ( Ant. , Xviii , v, 1). Here Josephus has fallen into confusion if he meant by the phrase "a place in the borders of the dominions of Aretas and Herod" that it was still in Herod's hands, since immediately he tells us that it was "subject to her father." It was natural enough, however, that a border fortress should be held now by one and now by the other. It may have passed to Aretas by some agreement of which we have no record; and Herod, unaware that his wife knew of his guilt, would have no suspicion of her design in wishing to visit her father. If this is true, then the Baptist could not have been imprisoned and beheaded at Macherus (ibid., 2). The feast given to the lords of Galilee would most probably be held at Tiberias; and there is nothing in the Gospel story to hint that the prisoner was some days' journey distant ( Mark 6:14 ff). The citadel was held by a Roman garrison until 66 Ad, which then evacuated it to escape a siege ( Bj , Ii, xviii, 6). Later by means of a stratagem it was recovered for the Romans by Bassus, circa 72 Ad ( Bj , Vii, vi, 4).

The place is identified with the modern Mkaur , a position of great strength on a prominent height between Wādy Zerḳā Ma‛ı̄n and Wādy el - Mōjib , overlooking the Dead Sea. There are extensive ruins.

Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological and Ecclesiastical Literature

(Μαχαιρούς ), a strong fortress of Peraea, first mentioned by Josephus in connection with Alexander, the son of Hyrcanus I, by whom it was built (Ant. 12:16, 3; War, 7:6, 2). It was delivered by his widow to her son Aristobulus, who first fortified it against Gabinius (Ant. 14:5, 2), to whom it afterwards surrendered, and by whom it was dismantled (ib. 4; compare Strabo, 16:762). Aristobulus, on his escape from Rome, again attempted to fortify it, but it was taken after two days' siege (War, 7:6). In his account of this last capture by Bassus, Josephus gives a detailed description of the place. It was originally a tower built by Alexander Jannaeus as a check to the Arab marauders. It was on a lofty point, surrounded by deep valleys, and of immense strength, both by nature and art (compare Pliny, Hist. Nat. v. 15). After the fall of Jerusalem it was occupied by the Jewish banditti. The Jews say that it was visible from Jerusalem (Schwarz, Palestine, p. 54). Its site was identified in 1806 by Seetzen with the extensive ruins now called Ilikrauer, on a rocky spur jutting out from Jebel Attarus towards the north, and overhanging the valley of Zerka Main (Reise, 1:330-4). Josephus expressly states that it was the place of John the Baptist's beheading (Ant. 18:5, 2), although he had said immediately before (ib. 2) that it was at the time in the possession of Aretas. See John The Baptist.