Machaerus

Machaerus occupies a volcanic ridge 53 kilometres southwest of Amman, its summit standing approximately 1,100 metres above the Dead Sea. The fortress was first raised by the Hasmonean king Alexander Jannaeus around 90 BCE, destroyed by Rome in 57 BCE and rebuilt lavishly by Herod the Great from 30 BCE. It is here, according to Flavius Josephus, that Herod Antipas imprisoned John the Baptist and ordered his execution around AD 32, an account that corresponds to the Gospel of Mark's narrative of Salome and the banquet. The fortress fell to Roman forces in 71 CE following the First Jewish–Roman War.

Excavations since 1968 have uncovered a Roman triclinium, peristyle courtyard, bath complex, mosaic floors and an aqueduct. A 2023 anastylosis project re-erected original Herodian columns on the plateau. The summit panorama on clear days spans the Jordan Valley, Judean hills and the shimmering Dead Sea far below.

Machaerus is reached via Mukawir village, 25km west of Madaba and around 90km from Amman. A footpath climbs from the village to the summit in 45 minutes. It pairs well with Madaba, Mount Nebo and a Dead Sea stop. Spring and early autumn are the most comfortable seasons.