A team of Israeli archaeologists has uncovered a new piece of the puzzle at the ancient Alexandrium fortress, the dramatic mountaintop site rising 650 meters above the Jordan Valley
Months after relaunching excavations on the eastern side of the site, researchers have now found remains of a newly identified royal palace on the northwestern slope. The find suggests the stronghold was part of a far more extensive royal complex than previously known.
“It sheds light on the architectural style and the function of the site, which is not mentioned by Josephus, our only historical source for the period,” Dr. Dvir Raviv of Bar-Ilan University, director of the excavation, told The Press Service of Israel. “So any archaeological find is significant.”
Among the discoveries at the fortress, perched above Mount Sartaba, are two column drums, 40 centimeters in diameter and 60 centimeters tall. Raviv said the columns match the monumental Herodian style from the 1st century CE, familiar from Masada and other desert fortresses, reinforcing the royal nature of the structures uncovered so far.