Herod's Three Towers in First Century Jerusalem

Built to protect the western side of the city of Jerusalem and his marvelous palace were Herod's 3 towers. These were fantastic towers, the largest was the Phasael Tower but the most beautiful was his Mariamne Tower. 1. Phasael Tower (the largest, named after his brother stood 145 feet high). 2. Hippicus Tower (named after a friend, and was 132 feet high) 3. Mariamme Tower (named after his beloved Hasmonean wife whom he had murdered. Josephus said "the king considering it appropriate that the tower named after a woman should surpass in decoration those called after men." It stood 74 feet high). When Titus destroyed most of Jerusalem in 70 AD., he spared Herod's fortress. Nothing remains of Herod's three towers and a Citadel named "David's Tower" stands on the spot of a Phasael’s Tower.