Archaeologists discover entryway to King Herod's palace

Just in time for the holidays!

Israeli archaeologists have excavated a grand, arched entryway that led to Herod the Great's Jerusalem palace, NBC News reports. King Herod, who appears in the Bible's story of Jesus' birth, apparently did not use the unearthed corridor much; the archaeologists think the entryway was back-filled when the palace was turned into a burial monument to the late king.

In addition to the corridor, archeologists also discovered a fresco-decorated vestibule, along with secret tunnels. The Israeli government says it hopes to turn the newly unearthed site into a tourist destination, where visitors can enter the palace "in the same way that Herod entered it 2,000 years ago."

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