The Judean Hill Country has great significance in both Old and New Testaments. As the place where the patriarchs are buried (Abraham, Sarah, Isaac, Rebecca, Jacob, Leah), it is the second holiest place in Judaism, next to Jerusalem. King Herod the Great was active in the Judean Hill Country, building fortresses such as the Herodium, just 3 miles from Bethlehem. Of course, Jesus was born in Bethlehem, making that city a holy site for Christians.