Jerusalem (CNSNews.com) - Archeologists here believe they have found the tomb of King Herod the Great, who ruled in the Roman-occupied land of Biblical Judea at the time of Jesus' birth.

The find is significant to both Jews and Christians because Herod was so famous, said archeologist Prof. Ehud Netzer, who headed the excavation on behalf of the Institute of Archeology at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.

Appointed King of Judea by the Roman rulers in 37 B.C., Herod reigned until his death in 4 B.C. He was known for his great building projects and his cruelty. In fact, he was so hated that sometime in antiquity his apparent burial coffin was smashed to pieces.

Although he considered himself to be Jewish, his father was Idumean (an Edomite) and his mother a Nabatea princess from Petra in present day Jordan. He had 10 wives at various times - some concurrently - and at least 14 children. He executed at least three of his sons before his death.

Archeologists have always believed that Herod was buried at the Herodium, but excavations there since 1972 did not reveal the burial site -- until recently, when the remains of his grave, sarcophagus (stone coffin) and mausoleum were uncovered.

The life of Herod is best described by first century Jewish historian Josephus Flavius, said Netzer. Josephus, who chronicled the Roman destruction of Jerusalem in 70 A.D., wrote a detailed account of Herod's funeral, and some of those details have been confirmed by the discovery of the burial site.

Because Herod was the king at the time of Jesus' birth, the discovery of his tomb may be of particular interest to the Christian world, said Netzer.

Christians know Herod as the king who met with the wise men who, guided by a star, were seeking the baby Jesus. The story, recorded in the Gospels, says Herod directed the three wise men to let him know where Jesus was, once they found him.

When the wise men failed to return, Herod became enraged, and the Bible says he ordered the murder of all Jewish babies under the age of two in nearby Bethlehem and the surrounding area.

Herod the Great was also known for his building projects, said Netzer. He built extensively in Jerusalem and expanded the Temple Mount. He also ordered the construction of the Mediterranean port of Caesarea, a palace at Massada, and a huge compound called the Herodium, located in the desert south of Jerusalem.

According to Netzer, the location and the unique nature of the findings, coupled with the historical record, leave "no doubt" that this was Herod's burial site.

The mausoleum was almost completely dismantled in ancient times. Spread among the ruins was a group of decorated urns used to store ashes as well as large pieces of a sarcophagus made of reddish limestone from Jerusalem and decorated with rosettes

The sarcophagus had been broken into hundreds of pieces as if deliberately smashed by a hammer, said Netzer. If someone had merely intended to loot the tomb they would have opened it and taken what they wanted, he said.

Netzer surmises that the destruction occurred between the years 66-72 A.D. during the first Jewish revolt against the Romans, when the rebels took control of the site. They were known for their hatred of Herod because they regarded him as a "puppet ruler" for Rome, he said.

There was no sign of Herod's actual remains and they are not likely to ever be found, said Netzer.

Archeologist Stephen Pfann of the University of the Holy Land, said the find is "very significant" and a "tremendous thing" but at the same time disappointing.

"[It] finally seals the hole in the history of the search for this tomb," Pfann told Cybercast News Service. But it is disappointing because there was so little found -- it wasn't like the gold-filled tomb of the Egyptian King Tut, he said.

"We would expect to [see] something much more grandiose, ceilings with great frescoes and cut stone, and we have very little so far," said Pfann.

Pfann said that it's not clear if this is the tomb of King Herod the Great or his son Archelaos. The only way it will be confirmed is if fragments and monumental inscriptions bearing names are found, said Pfann. He believes that will happen eventually.