Machaerus, Jordan

Machaerus Jordan Introduction

 is a hill in southwest of Madaba, overlooking the Dead sea and protect on three sides by deep ravines.

Machaerus also, known as a traditional site of the execution of john the baptist

This Fortress  Built In the first Time by the Hasmonean ruler Alexander Jannaeus (103 – 76 BC ). 

His Widow Alexandra store her treasure in the fortress, but unfortunately the Roman destroy it in 63 BC.

It restore then by Herod the Great (37-4 BC).

Machaerus fortress  built to protect Jerusalem on the eastern side of the Jordan river

Upon Herod’s death, his son Herod Antipas inherit the fortress and it is from here that he order John the Baptist

 to be beheaded after Salome’s fateful dance of the seven veils.

The Dance of the seven veils:

The Dance of the Seven Veils is Salome’s dance performed before Herod II.

It is an elaboration on the biblical story of the execution of John the Baptist,

 which refers to Salome dancing before the king, but does not give the dance a name.

the name came because the dancer Salome is wearing 7 veils.

Story of Dance of the seven veils

for sure you have heard about Dead sea And Madaba the holy place in the bible but you may not heard 

about Machaerus the traditional site of the execution of St. Jhon the baptist because of Salome Dance.

salome Dance or (dance of seven veils) its mixture of legend and reality but that doesn’t matter because it attract the attention artists Towards it.

after the relationship between Herodian and Herod he is the brother of Herodian husband.

they decide to leave there partner and get married,

 but at that time St. Jhon the Baptist  against their marriage because of two reasons first because 

they get ride of their Partner and the second if Herodian Married her Husband brother it will consider as a adultery Crime.

but did you believe that the couple accept what he said ?

diffidently no , Herod decide to but St Jhon in the jail to silence the denunciations he preached to all.

and at the day of celebration of Herod birth, Herodian’s daughter from her ex-husband to perform 

a special dance for Herod as a gift for his birth the girl called salome. 

and she was wearing 7 veils and during her perform she  taking off there Veils one by one. 

and when she finished her dance she make herod very happy and even he made a pledge to

 himself that he would fulfill what the girl asked for what even it was .

And under the insistence of her mother she asked for 

St. Jhon Head , herod didn’t want to do that but  he didn’t have a choice because of his pledge that

 he made in front of everyone he execute jhon the Baptist. 

that what the legend says.