The Bath-House

On the north-west side of the Palace-Fortress was a bath-house, relatively lavish by comparison to those from Herod’s other palaces; it was Herod who introduced the Roman custom of bathing to this part of the world. The whole complex was excavated, and it comprises two Apoditeria, (entry and changing-rooms), a large Caldarium (hot room), a Tepidarium (tepid room, or Laconicum, sweat room) and a small Frigidarium (cold room). The Caldarium is 7 X 9 m. with niches on all sides, and was originally covered with a barrel-vault. The room was heated by a Hypocaust, a heating system which channeled warm air under the raised floor supported by low stone pillars, and out through flue-channels inside the walls (as opposed to the more common terracotta pipes). Various fragments of the splendid frescos which decorated this room were recovered.
The circular Tepidarium, 4 m. in diameter, was also decorated with frescos, and covered by a dome which is almost intact; it is the earliest of its type to have survived in the area. The Frigidarium by contrast is slightly irregular-shaped as a result of being incorporated into the circular outer mantle of the overall structure. As was common in Herodian royal palaces, this room included a stepped pool, which may have served as a ritual bath, a miqveh. The bath-house floors were decorated with bright geometric mosaics.

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Read more:

• Corbo V., 1963. L’Herodion Di Gebal Fureidis, Liber Annuus 13, pp. 239-256.