Jericho Herod Palace Overview 1

The ancient path connecting Jericho with Jerusalem is one of the best places in Israel to picture events from the life of Jesus. Whenever people made their way from Jericho to Jerusalem, they passed by the luxurious palaces of Herod the Great and some of the wealthy priests from Jerusalem. “Upper Jericho,” as it was called, was a winter resort for the rich and powerful. A residential building was on the north side of the wadi. A huge pool and an observation tower was on the opposite side of the ravine. A bridge spanned the wadi and allowed residents a chance to watch the winter flash floods roaring through the canyon. Too many people to mention traversed this road. Mary and Joseph walked this way on their way to Bethlehem. Jesus and his disciples walked by the palace many times, including on the last trip Jesus made to Jerusalem. When James and John (through their mother) made a request to sit on the “right and the left” of Jesus when he came into his kingdom, they were very near the winter homes of Jerusalem’s religious and political elite. The other 10 disciples were indignant with James and John (Matthew 20:20-28). The unity of the group was shattered, just when Jesus needed them to be united the most