https://pjmedia.com/michaelledeen/2008/11/23/herod-augustus-and-us/feed/PJ Media is a leading news site covering culture, politics, faith, homeland security, and more. Our reporters and columnists provide original, in-depth analysis from a variety of perspectives.en-usSat, 13 Jun 2026 05:22:45 -0400<![CDATA[It seems that Israeli archeologists have found Herod&#8217;s tomb.  It was quite something, some 75 feet high, adorned with all manner of frescos, worthy of an emperor.  As well it should have been;  Herod presided over a Middle Eastern empire, and, like other emperors, caused the creation of an amazingly modern infrastructure from roads and water systems to monuments and temples.  Anyone who visits Rome, whence I have just returned, must be amazed at the fabulous combination of engineering and artistic talent that made Rome the center of the world for many centuries.  Did you know that Augustus&#8217; wife had a villa on top of what is now the Forum, in which she had steam heat?  And did you know that the principal roads, which began on the Capitoline Hill (now the site of the city hall, in Michelangelo&#8217;s magnificent piazza at the center of which stands a copy of the golden equestrian statue of Marcus Aurelius&#8211;the original standing inside the museum that borders the piazza)?]]>Sun, 23 Nov 2008 07:48:04 -0500<![CDATA[Michael Ledeen]]>https://pjmedia.com/michael-ledeen/2008/11/23/herod-augustus-and-us-n186247