Bethlehem 2007 and 2004

National Geographic has an article in their December 2007 magazine on the modern day city of Bethlehem, the house of bread. Like all good subscribers, I have only looked at the pictures so far. They have an amazing one showing how close Bethlehem rests in the shadow of Herod, literally with the giant ruins of Herod's desert fortress in the background, the Herodium. Archaeologists recently found what appears to be Herod's tomb at the Herodium. The birth and death of two great kings. Bethlehem is about 3 miles (4.75 km) from the Herodium. All these places within an hours walk of one another.

Back in 2004, I spent a night at Ramat Rachel in Jerusalem. I woke up the next morning to a view of sun rise on the Herodium.

Figure 1 -- The Herodium (or Herodion) is in the background , the flat-top shaped hill.

Figure 2 -- Panning to the right, to the east, you can see more of the nearby land.

Figure 3 -- Panning to the east slightly more, you can see the towers of Bethlehem in the middle ground.