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Plans by King Herod, one of Jewish history’s most eminent yet reviled figures, to leave an elaborate memorialto himself have been discovered by Israeli archaeologists at a controversial site in the occupied West Bank.

A team of researchers from Jerusalem’s Hebrew University uncovered the evidence in the form of a monumental entry way at the Herodian Hilltop Palace, part of the Herodium National Park, south-east of the Palestinian city of Bethlehem.

It features a corridor 22 yards long and six-and-a-half feet wide with a complex system of arches spanning its width on three different levels.

Three Hebrew university archaeologists concluded that Herod – perhaps best-remembered for ordering the murder of the baby boys of Bethlehem – had the corridor filled in as part of his plan to turn Herodium into a huge, artificial volcano-shaped hill that was to commemorate him after his death.

“Surprisingly, 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,” the archaeologists said.

“This appears to have happened when Herod, aware of his impending death, decided to convert the whole hilltop complex into a massive memorial mound” – a royal burial monument on an epic scale. Whatever the case, the corridor was back-filled during the construction of the massive artificial hill at the end of Herod’s reign.

Part of the entry complex discovered by archaeologists (National)

Palestinian officials have complained that Israel has no right to carry out excavations on the Herodium site, which is on land the Palestinians claim would be part of a future state. They have previously protested about the removal of artifacts for use in exhibitions in Israel.

The Israel Museum in Jerusalem, which has put items from the site on display, has said such exhibits are on loan and will be returned. It has also said that Israeli archaeologists are allowed to carry out work at Herodium under the 1993 Oslo Accords, pending future final status negotiations.