Third Palace on Gardens of the Roman Empire

Corinthian Peristyle

Wed, 21 Apr 2021 00:00:00 +0000

Dates

31 BCE - 4 BCE

Garden Description

With porticoes on three sides and measuring 23 x 14.5m, this courtyard, known as area B55, is decorated with columns in the Corinthian order. (Fig. 3) The lower portions of these smooth stucco shafts alternate between red and black; above them the columns are of fluted white stucco while the Corinthian capitals are of stone. Thus far, no entablature or roof tiles have been discovered. A low stone wall, known as a pluteus, ran between the columns. Water entered the garden at the north end, under the pluteus from the aqueduct channel serving the adjacent baths. As with garden B64, an opus signinum walk runs along the exterior perimeter of the porticoes. The ridged surface of the garden lies 12cm below the surrounding walk, which is neatly finished with a curb. The ridges are of packed earth, 3 or 4cm in depth, with no trace of plaster or mortar; and whereas in garden B64 there is a covering layer of fertilized soil, in B55 the ridges are exposed. Beneath the packed surface, lies coarse gravel, perhaps equivalent to the subsoil or fill in B64. No perforated pots were found. The only evidence of ornamentation within the garden is a large boulder, centrally placed and apparently part of the garden scheme rather than fallen debris. Along the curb, layers of mineral deposit were excavated from very fine silt sand. In some respects, this courtyard has the appearance of a pool, although its surfaces are not sealed with the grey hydraulic plaster usually employed in water features elsewhere in the palace complex. The nature of this courtyard remains uncertain pending further excavation, but the mouth of a water channel on the north end and the accreted mineral deposit such either a water feature or displays of plants receiving heavy irrigation.

Plans

Figure 3: Plan of Corinthian peristyle garden (B55) showing contouring (K. Gleason).

Bibliography

G. Garbrecht, and E. Netzer, "Die Wasserversorgung des geschichtlichen Jericho und seiner koniglichen Anlagen," in Mitteilungen (aus dem Leichtweiss-Institut fur Wasserbau) 115, Braunschweig/Jerusalem 1991 worldcat
K. Gleason, "Garden Excavations at the Herodian Winter Palace in Jericho, 1985-1987", Bulletin of the Anglo-Israel Archaeological Society, Vol. 7, 1987-8 Jstor
K. Gleason, "A Garden Excavation in the Oasis Palace of Herod the Great at Jericho," Landscape Journal 12.2 (1993):156-67wordcat
J. Kelso, James L. and Dimitri Baramki, "Excavations at New Testament Jericho and Kirbet en-Nitla," Annual of the American Schools of Oriental Research 29-30 (1949-51): 38-39
E. Netzer, The Palaces of the Hasmoneans and Herod the Great, Jerusalem: The Israel Exploration Society, 1999: 13-64 wordcat
Nielsen, Inge, Hellenistic Palaces,1994, 195-201 wordcat
E. Netzer, The Hasmonean and Herodian Palaces at Jericho: Final Reports of the 1973-1987 Excavations, Vol. 1, Jerusalem: Israel Exploration Society, 2001 : 287-298 worldcat
E. Netzer, and Garbrecht G, "Water channels and a royal estate of the late Hellenistic period in Jericho's eastern plains," in D. Amit, J. Patrich and Y.; Hirschfeld, eds, The Aqueducts of Israel. 353-365. JRA Supplement 46, R.I. 2002 worldcat
J. Pritchard, "The Excavation at Herodian Jericho, 1951," The Annual of the American Schools of Oriental Research 32-3 (1952-4): 56-58. worldcat
D. Langgut, and K. Gleason. "Identification of the Miniaturised Garden of King Herod The Great: The Fossil Pollen Evidence." STRATA: Bulletin of the Anglo-Israel Archaeological Society 38 (2020).

Keywords

Ionic Peristyle

Wed, 21 Apr 2021 00:00:00 +0000

Dates

31 BCE - 4 BCE

Garden Description

This peristyle courtyard (19.1 x 18.7) lies adjacent to the banquet hall and near Roman baths constructed in opus reticulatum. It is referred to in excavation reports as area B64. The central garden is surrounded on three sides by a colonnade of cemented stone, stuccoed in white and red. Remains of plaster Ionic capitals and other stucco decoration were found during excavation, as well as frescoes with floral motifs of unusually high quality, perhaps made by Roman craftsmen. Rozenberg claimed that this courtyard was the most richly painted space in the palace An unusual feature of the peristyles in this complex is an opus signinum walk around the inner circumference of the peristyle, outside the columns flanking the garden.

The garden was first discovered in 1976 by E. Netzer, who excavated a trench through the center of the peristyle. The garden soil was poorly preserved, but ceramic planting pots appeared at the bottom of the garden. In 1985 and 1987, K. Gleason continued the excavations and found preserved garden soil layers beneath the destruction debris at the sides of the garden. (Fig. 3 and 4) The stratigraphy is reconstructed as follows:

The subsoil, probably fill, is composed of coarse, poorly cemented alluvial pebbles and cobbles. Above this, a thin layer of soil, in most places, plastered over, formed a rough surface over the courtyard, except at the north end, where the plaster tapers off onto a packed earth surface. The crude quality of the plaster and varying types of mortar suggest a working surface for the construction of the peristyle. When the garden was installed, trenches extending down into the subsoil levels were cut out of the plaster surface for the pots and planting pits. (Fig. 5) The flower pots at Jericho are unusual among Roman era pots. They are well-formed of local clay with a hole in the bottom and three holes in the side of the vessel, neatly punched before firing. Their similarity to local water-wheel pots is striking, except that in the planting pot the knob-like foot is open, like a bottle top, while closed in the water wheel pots. The Mishnah suggests that perforated pots, with holes in the bottom and sides, allowed the plants inside to make contact with the ground and thus allow plants or seeds in the pot to be considered like plants in the ground in most matters of agricultural law (Mishnah 8 in Kil'ayim), purity (eg Uktzin 1.9-10), and tithing (Gitin 21b-22a). The rabbis, at least during the redaction of the Mishnah, found that flower pots posed fascinating problems for interpretation.

The plantings were aligned in rows, roughly 1.5m apart. Between the rows, ridges were formed of small cobbles crudely plastered over, apparently to direct the flow of irrigation water. At the north end the situation appears to be somewhat different. The ridges characteristic of the plastered surface end approximately 2m from the walk in front of the apse. In this area only one pot was found, but late in excavation, after light rainfall, three planting pits became evident. These were filled with a light sandy loam, and two were free of flower-pot sherds. The fertilized garden soil was then laid over the whole area, 8-10cm deep and surrounding the pots, but only on the surface of the planting pits.

The plan reveals seven rows of up to eleven pots per row, although directly in front of the apse, tree pits were observed in place of the pots. This regular ordering of rows seems peculiar in such a public location, as Roman gardens of this period could be quite ornate in their layout (Fig 7). A garden at Pompeii laid out in such straight rows would be a market garden. However, the older, Hellenistic and Persian preference is for straight rows, and it is possible that this is a display garden for miniaturized plants (Langgut and Gleason).

Plans

Figure 3: Plan of the Ionic Peristyle Courtyard B64 with the location of the planting pots (K. Wilczak and K. Gleason).

Images

Figure 4: Section extending from the Sunken Garden, through Garden B64, to the Southern Tell

Credit: (K. Wilczak after Netzer 2001a: Ill. 478).

Figure 5: A section through the Ionic Peristyle Courtyard B64 at the second row from the north:

Credit: (a) gravel subsoil; (b) working surface; (c) planting pot; (d) planting pit; (e) ridges; (f) contoured garden-soil surface; (g) sidewalk; (h) alluvial deposit; (i) fallen building debris; (j) modern surface in 1978-1985 (K. Gleason).

Figure 6: A planting pot No. 23 found in the Ionic Peristyle Courtyard B64 (K. Gleason).

Figure 7: Axonometric reconstruction of the Ionic Peristyle Courtyard B64 with the location of the planting pots (Yaniv Korman).

Bibliography

G. Garbrecht, and E. Netzer, "Die Wasserversorgung des geschichtlichen Jericho und seiner koniglichen Anlagen," in Mitteilungen (aus dem Leichtweiss-Institut fur Wasserbau) 115, Braunschweig/Jerusalem 1991 worldcat
K. Gleason, "Garden Excavations at the Herodian Winter Palace in Jericho, 1985-1987", Bulletin of the Anglo-Israel Archaeological Society, Vol. 7, 1987-8 Jstor
K. Gleason, "A Garden Excavation in the Oasis Palace of Herod the Great at Jericho," Landscape Journal 12.2 (1993):156-67wordcat
J. Kelso, James L. and Dimitri Baramki, "Excavations at New Testament Jericho and Kirbet en-Nitla," Annual of the American Schools of Oriental Research 29-30 (1949-51): 38-39
E. Netzer, The Palaces of the Hasmoneans and Herod the Great, Jerusalem: The Israel Exploration Society, 1999: 13-64 wordcat
Nielsen, Inge, Hellenistic Palaces,1994, 195-201 wordcat
E. Netzer, The Hasmonean and Herodian Palaces at Jericho: Final Reports of the 1973-1987 Excavations, Vol. 1, Jerusalem: Israel Exploration Society, 2001 : 287-298 worldcat
E. Netzer, and Garbrecht G, "Water channels and a royal estate of the late Hellenistic period in Jericho's eastern plains," in D. Amit, J. Patrich and Y.; Hirschfeld, eds, The Aqueducts of Israel. 353-365. JRA Supplement 46, R.I. 2002 worldcat
J. Pritchard, "The Excavation at Herodian Jericho, 1951," The Annual of the American Schools of Oriental Research 32-3 (1952-4): 56-58. worldcat
Langgut D. and Gleason K. 2020. Identification of the miniaturized garden of King Herod the Great: The fossil pollen evidence, Strata.

Keywords

Sunken Garden

Wed, 21 Apr 2021 00:00:00 +0000

Dates

31 BCE - 4 BCE

Garden Description

The monumental 'sunken garden' (B6), which measures 37.27 x 113.67m, lies largely unexcavated on the south side of Wadi Qelt, in alignment with the buildings and gardens described above (Fig 4). First explored in 1950 by Kelso and Baramki and again by Netzer in 1979, its perimeter is known, although the northern side has eroded into the wadi. Kelso and Baramki found a retaining wall on the south side, set into the slope of the hill and presenting a "grand facade" of semicircular and squared niches separated by columns in antis (fig 5). Jewish Law would have prohibited the placement of statuary in these niches, but urns with plants may have provided a satisfactory alternative and Stibel suggests that it served as a luxurious nympheum. The facade is interrupted in the middle by a great hemicycle (Fig 6), which formed a small stepped theatre, with benches not for spectators but for plants in perforated ceramic pots of the same general size and description as those found in garden B64 and elsewhere in the winter palace complex (Fig 7). A water channel ran along the floor of the sunken garden across entire length of the facade and cavea. Double porticoes along the top of the retaining walls, preserved on the east and west sides, allowed visitors to promenade around the sunken garden and look into it; what they observed remains buried beneath a deep landslide. In 1978, Netzer cut a trial trench along the foot of the east retaining wall and discovered a perforated pot at this lower level. (Fig. 8 and 9) Gleason examined the stratigraphy of this sounding in 1985 and noted that the pot was set into a level of cultivated soil.

Above the east end of the sunken garden rises the artificial tel with its pavilion, another unusual feature of Herod's palace. The pavilion was round, 16 m. in diameter, serving as a reception hall with four niches in each quarter. Below the hall, as seen in the northern palace at Masada, lay a Roman-style bathhouse for the pleasure of guests visiting the hall. The artificial mount was undoubtedly erected to offer splendid views of the landscape with its oasis estates of rare palms and balsam, and would, in turn, be a landmark visible from the road descending from Wadi Qelt and from across the plain.

A huge pool (90 x 40 m.) built to the east of the sunken garden formed an integral part of the third palace. The pool probably served not only for swimming but also for boating and aquatic sports. In contrast to all the other wings of the third palace, which were built in alignment with a single grid system, this pool deviates by ca. 30 to accommodate the slope of the hill, evidently to offer spectators a good view of the events. The difference in orientation was possibly obscured by trees and shrubs, was the case with the Pool Complex of the second palace.

Images

Figure 3: Section extending from the Sunken Garden, through Garden B64, to the Southern Tell

Credit: (K. Wilczak after Netzer 2001a: Ill. 478).

Figure 4: view of the Third Palace showing the Sunken Garden with linear promenades(ambulationes, K. Gleason after J. Salzberg).

Fig. 5: The Grand Facade of the Sunken Garden and Netzer's Trench B3, view from the northwest

Credit: (Netzer 2001a: Ill. 433).

Figure 6:Axonometric reconstruction of the Hemicycle and the Sunken Garden terrace showing the excavation areas.Light shading indicates the Kelso and Baramki excavations, dark shading indicates Netzer's excavations (K.Gleason after J. Salzberg).

Figure 7:Section C-C through the benches of the Hemicycle: opus reticulatum walls set on clay subsoil

Credit: (K. Gleason after Kelso and Baramki 1955:18).

Figure 8: Trench B6

Credit: (Netzer 2001a: Ill. 435).

Figure 9:Section D-D in Trench B6 showing garden soils near east end of Sunken Garden at location of flower pot. (K. Gleason).

Bibliography

G. Garbrecht, and E. Netzer, "Die Wasserversorgung des geschichtlichen Jericho und seiner koniglichen Anlagen," in Mitteilungen (aus dem Leichtweiss-Institut fur Wasserbau) 115, Braunschweig/Jerusalem 1991 worldcat
K. Gleason, "Garden Excavations at the Herodian Winter Palace in Jericho, 1985-1987", Bulletin of the Anglo-Israel Archaeological Society, Vol. 7, 1987-8 Jstor
K. Gleason, "A Garden Excavation in the Oasis Palace of Herod the Great at Jericho," Landscape Journal 12.2 (1993):156-67wordcat
J. Kelso, James L. and Dimitri Baramki, "Excavations at New Testament Jericho and Kirbet en-Nitla," Annual of the American Schools of Oriental Research 29-30 (1949-51): 38-39
E. Netzer, The Palaces of the Hasmoneans and Herod the Great, Jerusalem: The Israel Exploration Society, 1999: 13-64 wordcat
Nielsen, Inge, Hellenistic Palaces,1994, 195-201 wordcat
E. Netzer, The Hasmonean and Herodian Palaces at Jericho: Final Reports of the 1973-1987 Excavations, Vol. 1, Jerusalem: Israel Exploration Society, 2001 : 287-298 worldcat
E. Netzer, and Garbrecht G, "Water channels and a royal estate of the late Hellenistic period in Jericho's eastern plains," in D. Amit, J. Patrich and Y.; Hirschfeld, eds, The Aqueducts of Israel. 353-365. JRA Supplement 46, R.I. 2002 worldcat
J. Pritchard, "The Excavation at Herodian Jericho, 1951," The Annual of the American Schools of Oriental Research 32-3 (1952-4): 56-58. worldcat
D. Langgut, and K. Gleason. "Identification of the Miniaturised Garden of King Herod The Great: The Fossil Pollen Evidence." STRATA: Bulletin of the Anglo-Israel Archaeological Society 38 (2020).