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Excavations of a colossal fortress built by King Herod the Great have uncovered the palace's dramatic entrance way. 

The arched entrance and corridor, built around 20 years before the birth of Christ, leads to a vestibule or lobby covered with coloured frescoes.

The palace was built after Herod defeated the Parthians, originally from Iran, and decided to build a town and palace on the site 10 miles (16km) south of Jerusalem to celebrate his victory.  

Archaeologists from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem's Institute of Archaeology, discovered the colossal entrance (pictured) to the Herodium hilltop palace at the Herodyon National Park. The main feature of the entryway is a corridor with a complex system of arches spanning its width on three separate levels

The discovery was made by by the Hebrew University of Jerusalem's Institute of Archaeology.

It was part of a wider dig that is ongoing at the Herodium site in the Herodyon National Park.

The main feature of the entryway is a corridor with a complex system of arches spanning its width on three separate levels.

Thanks to the supporting arches, the 65ft (20 metre) long and 19ft (6 metre) wide corridor has been preserved to a height of 65ft (20 metres).

Hebrew University archaeologists, Roi Porat, Yakov Kalman and Rachel Chachy, said: 'The corridor was built as part of Herod's plan to turn Herodium into a massive artificial volcano-shaped hill, a vast and impressive monument designed to commemorate the architect-King.

Herodium is a hill, situated in the Herodyon National Park (pictured). Between 23 and 15BC, King Herod the Great constructed a fortress, palace and small town on the cone-shaped mound and was later buried there. Herod died in Jericho in spring 4 BC and was said to have been buried on the site

HEROD'S HILLTOP FORTRESS AND PALACE

Herod (illustrated) was born around 73BC and was governor of Galilee. He was appointed King of the Jews by the Roman senate

Herodium is a hilltop fortress situated in the Herodyon National Park.

Between 23 and 15BC, King Herod the Great constructed a fortress, palace and small town on the cone-shaped mound, and was later buried there.

Herod was born around 73BC and was governor of Galilee until 40BC.

The Parthian Empire then conquered Judea, which was under Roman control at the time, and Herod fled to Jerusalem.

He sought refuge in Petra, where his mother was said to have been originally from, and was later appointed King of the Jews by the Roman senate.

With Roman support, he took back the kingdom three years later, and began building the fortress a decade after that.

Archaeologists believe the palace was built by slaves and contractors and consisted of four towers - believed to have been where Herod lived - as well as frescoes, an aqueduct, elaborate mosaic floors and corridors connected by archways.

The site is the highest peak in the Judean desert, stretching 2,450ft (758 metres) above sea level.

Herod died in Jericho in spring 4 BC of an illness dubbed 'Herod's Evil', which is thought to have been a combination of cirrhosis of the liver, hypertension, and diabetes.

Archaeologists believe the palace was built by slaves and contractors (illustrated left) as well as frescoes, an aqueduct, elaborate mosaic floors and corridors connected by archways. His body was buried in a tomb on the site of the fortress, which archaeologists claimed to have uncovered in 2007 (pictured right)

His body was buried in a tomb on the site of the fortress, which archaeologists claimed to have uncovered in 2007.

However, last year, experts ruled this location out because the tomb was too small for a ruler known for his decadence and love of ambitious, large scale architectural projects.

Experts at the time also said the said the building where the tomb was said to have been found has an awkward layout with two staircases above the tomb, and is not symmetrically aligned with the rest of the complex, which would have been a design faux pas not fit for a king.

They also believe that the ruler, known for his expensive taste, would not have settled for a coffin made of local stones. 

The original palace vestibule, blocked when the corridor became redundant, was also exposed (pictured). This room was decorated with painted frescoes and also showed signs of the rebel occupation during the Great Revolt of 66 to 71 BC. These signs included Jewish Revolt coins and crude temporary structures

'During the course of the excavations, it became evident that the arched corridor was never actually in use, as prior to its completion it became redundant.'

Experts believe that when Herod became aware of his impending death in 4BC, he decided to convert the hilltop complex into a memorial mound and royal burial monument.   

'Whatever the case, the corridor was backfilled during the construction of the massive artificial hill at the end of Herod's reign,' continued the archaeologists. 

'The upper section of a new monumental stairway stretching from the hill's base to its peak, constructed during the course of this building phase, appears to have been built over it.'

The palace was built after Herod defeated the Parthians and decided to build a town on the site 10 miles (16km) south of Jerusalem (marked) to celebrate his victory

The original palace vestibule, blocked when the corridor became redundant, was also exposed. 

DO CLAY SEALS PROVE THE REIGN OF KINGS DAVID AND SOLOMON?

The discovery of official clay seals (pictured) may prove there was a ruler, or at least government activity, in the region during the 9th century BC

For centuries, scholars have either dismissed King David and King Solomon as mythological figures, or disputed the era in which they ruled over the Israelites, as told in the Bible.

But the discovery of six official clay seals may finally prove that there was a ruler in the region during the 9th and 10th century BC.

Although the bullae don't directly reference David or Solomon, they do suggest the presence of a government and political activity during their respective supposed reigns. 

This room was decorated with painted frescoes and also showed signs of the rebel occupation during the Great Revolt of 66 to 71 BC. 

These signs included Jewish Revolt coins and crude temporary structures.

In addition, the excavations in the arched corridor also showed evidence of the Bar Kokhba Revolt period that took place between 132 and 136 BC.

This included a series of hidden tunnels dug on the site by the rebels as part of the guerrilla warfare they waged against the Romans.

The archaeologists said: 'Supported in part by wooden beams, these tunnels exited from the hilltop fortress by way of the corridor's walls, through openings hidden in the corridor.

'One of the tunnels revealed a well-preserved construction of 20 or so cypress-wood branches, arranged in a cross-weave pattern to support the tunnel's roof.'

Shaul Goldstein, Director of Israel's Nature and Parks Authority, added: 'In the future, the excavation of the arched corridor will allow visitors direct access to the Herodium hilltop palace-fortress, in the same way that Herod entered it two thousand years ago.

'There are also plans to provide tourists with direct access to the structures on the slope, the Royal Theater and the Mausoleum, via the earlier monumental stairway, to the hilltop Palace.'