An Israeli university discovers King Herod's tomb

Hebrew University of Jerusalem said on Monday in a brief statement the discovery was made at Herodium, where Herod's hilltop fortress palace once stood some 12 km from the holy city where he had rebuilt and expanded the Jewish Temple.

The university said it would give further details at a news conference on Tuesday.

The Gospel of Matthew says Herod ordered the ''Massacre of the Innocents'', the killing of all young male children in Jesus's birthplace of Bethlehem out of fear he would lose his throne to a new ''king of the Jews'', whose birth had been related to him by the Magi.

According to Matthew, Joseph and Mary fled with baby Jesus to Egypt to escape the slaughter.

The Roman Senate appointed Herod ''king of the Jews'' in approximately 40 BC. According to the ancient Jewish historian Falavius Josephus, Herod died in 4 BC.

Israel's Haaretz newspaper said on its Web site that Herod's tomb was discovered by Hebrew University professor Ehud Netzer, who has conducted archaeological digs at Herodium since 1972. - DDNews India