Judaea - Jericho

Jericho Herodian First Palace

Herodian First Palace Herod may have been a regular guest at the Hasmonean palace during his boyhood. Even after he effected his rule in 37 B.C., the Hasmoneans retained possession of their winter palace for a few years, according to Josephus. Artis...

Jericho Herodian Second Palace

Herodian Second Palace The earthquake of 31 B.C. destroyed the Hasmonean palace complex, and the political changes that took place after Actium enabled Herod to gain full possession of the winter palaces. On top of the ruined palaces, he built a new...

Jericho Herodian Third Palace Corinthian Peristyle

Corinthian Peristyle 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 bl...

Jericho Herodian Third Palace Ionic Peristyle

Ionic Peristyle 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 ...

Jericho Herodian Third Palace Sunken Garden

Sunken Garden 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 Bara...

Jericho Palace of John Hyrcanus I

Palace of John Hyrcanus I Erected on the southern margin of the royal estate around 120 B.C., north of Wadi Qelt, the palace has not yet been studied in its entirety, since at a later stage most of it was buried (Fig 2 area AA). At its center lay a ...

Jericho Pool Complex of Alexander Janneaus

Pool Complex of Alexander Janneaus The ascent to the throne of Alexander Jannaeus in 103 B.C. triggered a significant development in the above palace. He constructed another conduit from the “Auja and Na’aran” springs to the north of the palace site...