Alexandreion

Alexandreion is an ancient hilltop fortress originally built by the Hasmonean dynasty and later expanded into a palace-like complex under Herod the Great. It belonged to a chain of strategic strongholds — alongside Masada, Herodium, and Machaerus — that the Jewish kings used to defend their realm against both internal revolt and external threat. The Roman general Pompey seized it in 63 BCE, and the site suffered further destruction during the Jewish War. Today the ruins crown a prominent ridge, and the climb rewards visitors with sweeping views across the Jordan Valley.