Herodion

To commemorate a 40 BCE victory over the Parthians, King Herod the Great constructed a sprawling palace, fortress and small town at the battle site, now known as Herodion. The ancient ruins—and suspected burial site of King Herod—lie in the Judean Hills, roughly 30 minutes from Bethlehem and Jerusalem. Excavations began in 1972, and despite nearly 40 years of work (excavations paused when the lead archeologist died in 2010), much of the site is still undiscovered.