Hyrcania - Credit: Wikimedia Commons
Hyrcania - Credit: Wikimedia Commons
Hyrcania (; Arabic: خربة المرد "Khirbet el-Mird"; ) was an ancient fortress in the Judean Desert. It was built by Hasmonean ruler John Hyrcanus or his son Alexander Jannaeus in the 2nd or 1st century BCE (in the Hellenistic part of the Second Temple period). The fortress was rebuilt and greatly expanded by King Herod (r. 37-4 BCE; Roman period). After Herod's death Hyrcania was abandoned, only to be resettled during the Byzantine period, when a late-5th century monastery named Kastellion was established on the ruined fortress, which remained active until the early 9th century. There was a short-lived attempt by monks to rebuild in the 1920s-30s.Wright, G. R. H., and J. T. Milik. "The Archaeological Remains al El Mird in the Wilderness of Judaea." Biblica, vol. 42, no. 1, 1961, pp. 1–27. Accessed via JSTOR, 2 Oct. 2023. The ancient ruins can still be seen today. Read more on Wikipedia
Source: en.wikipedia.org