MACHAERUS.—A fortress on the east of the Dead Sea, in which, according to Josephus (Ant. xviii. v. 2), John the Baptist was imprisoned and put to death by Herod Antipas (Matthew 14:3-12, Mark 6:17-29, Luke 3:19). It had been originally fortified by Alexander Jannaeus (Josephus BJ vii. vi. 2), and afterwards destroyed by Gabinius (ib. i. viii. 5; Ant. xiv. v. 4). It was restored by Herod the Great, who used it as a residence (BJ vii. vi. 1, 2.). On his death it passed into the hands of Antipas, as it lay in the Peraean portion of his tetrarchy. At the time of the Jewish revolt it was occupied by a Roman garrison, which was constrained to abandon it in a.d. 66 (ib. ii. xviii. 6). After the fall of Jerusalem it was recaptured, and finally destroyed by the Roman general Lucilius Bassus (ib. vii. vi. 4). The ruins, called Mkawr, on a projecting height near the Dead Sea on its eastern side, are supposed to mark the site of the fortress.
Literature.—Hasting's Dictionary of the Bible , art. ‘Machaerus,’ and the Lit. there cited; to wh. add PRE [Note: RE Real-Encyklopädie fur protest. Theologic und Kirche.] 3 [Note: designates the particular edition of the work referred] ix. 326 f.
James Patrick.