After the Hasmonean (Maccabean) Dynasty collapsed into civil war, Herod with Roman support - became absolute ruler of Judea. Josephus Flavius, 1^st-century historian, recorded that Herod decided to ensure his rule and personal safety by building himself a luxurious private palace. The spot he picked was near Jerusalem, on the edge of the Judean desert.

This palace was to become a monumental tomb, which would dominate the landscape and rise prominently along the desert horizon. Shaped like a cone, with four towers geometrically situated on a north-south east-west axis, Herod erected both a towering palace and a private city; an aqueduct brought water from springs dozens of kilometers away to the complex’s huge water cisterns and pools.

Upon Herod's death, Josephus reports that he was brought to Herodion the king’s name for his private palace, fortress and tomb. But the location of the tomb remains a mystery to this day.

During the two great Jewish revolts against Rome, in 66-73 A.D. and again in 132-135 A.D., Herodion became headquarters for the forces rebelling against Rome. Defensive tunnels dating to the later revolt, once discovered, were opened to the public.