Herodium

Herodium

May 6, 2017

Herod the Great built a lavish palace within the fortress of Herodium. He commissioned it to be built between 23 and 15 BCE atop Herodium for all to see. The palace itself consisted of four towers of seven stories, a bathhouse, courtyards, a Roman theatre, banquet rooms, a large walkway (“the course”), as well as extravagant living quarters for himself and guests. Once Herod died and the Great Revolt started, Herodium was abandoned. The Jews eventually had a base at Herodium where they built a synagogue. 

The model below shows the circular wall with the walkway around the top.  Three towers are situated mostly outside the wall; but the fourth, which probably was Herod's living quarters, was situated through the wall and towered over it.

The remains of the large tower and the centra courtyard:

A synagogue at Herodium built before 70 CE is of the Galilean type, featuring stone benches built along the walls and aisles formed by columns that supported the roof. It is one of the oldest synagogues in the Levant.  It is located under the canvas cover in the lower right area of the pictures above and below.

A mikveh, or ceremonial pool was added with the synagogue:

The Roman Theatre was discovered in late 2010. It was topped by a loggia, or theatre box; so, when Herod or other notable officials went to see a play, they would receive luxury treatment. The rest of the audience would be seated below on benches that could accommodate about 650 people. It probably looked a lot like the sketch below.

A partially excavated section of the theatre:

The tomb of Herod was discovered above tunnels and water pools at a flattened site halfway up the hill to Herodium. Later excavations strengthened the idea that this site is Herod's mausoleum; but his remains have not been found. The base of the tomb has now been uncovered and is visible here:

This model is probably close to its completed appearance:

Lower Herodium is located at the foot of the north slope of Herodium. It included a large palace, a huge pool complex, a bathhouse and structures used to house guests and officials.  The palace no longer remains, but the pool complex is shown below with the foundations of many buildings in the foreground, which included a funeral complex with a grand hall and a ritual bath and a Byzantine village.

Off to the left of the pool shown above is the bathhouse shown below.