Khirbet el-Minya

Located on the Ginnosaur plain along the western shore of the Sea of Galilee, Khirbet el-Minya is the ruin of a Umayyad palace wrapped in mystery. Its builder and history are largely unknown. Apparently, the palace was used for a short time during the Umayyad period and then again in the Mameluke period (to which some of the remains can be dated).

Khirbat al-Mafjar

Khirbat al-Mafjar has recently been updated.

Khirbat al-Mafjar is an elaborate palace that has traditionally be associated with the caliph Hisham’s palace, but more likely was built by his nephew el-Walid. The only part of the palace that was completed, interrupted due to el-Walid’s assassination, is the bath, with a large pool that served as the frigidarium. An unfinished mosque is also associated with the palace.

Tulul Abu al-Alayiq

Along the Wadi Qelt in Jericho, this site is where the Hasmonian kings and Herod the Great built their winter palaces to escape the cool, damp winters in Jerusalem. Beginning with John Hyrcanus I (or perhaps with his father Simeon), the Hasmonean kings established a royal estate, growing and processing dates and balsam. A large palace, built through seven stages was built at the southern end of the estate. Adjacent to the palace is perhaps the earliest surviving synagogue.

Herod the Great choose the same area for his three palaces. The first palace was built to the south of the Wadi Qelt and is not included in the virtual tour of the site. The second palace was built near the Hasmonean palace and incorporated some of its remains into it. The third palace was Herod's most ambitious and it bridges the Wadi Qelt. Unfortunately, most of the southern extension of the palace is not longer visible.