Jericho royal winter palaces
Encyclopedia
The Jericho royal winter palaces are a complex of buildings from the Second Temple
period, which were discovered in the western Jericho
valley, near the entrance to Wadi Qelt
and to the Roman
path going down from Jerusalem to Jericho. Two tell
s are prominent at the site, located on either side of Wadi Qelt.
The palaces are expressions of the luxurious lifestyle held by the royal families and their escorts. They made extensive use of swimming pools, bathhouses
, ornamental gardens and orchards. The palaces were just hours away from Jerusalem – 20 km along the ancient Roman road.
, who attempted to locate the place of Biblical Jericho. After making an archaeological trench, he concluded that this site is from the Roman period. Additional excavations were conducted by the Germans Celine and Danziger, in 1910–1911, but the results have never been published. In 1950, two expeditions from the United States dug on the site. An ornamental garden with magnificent remains from the time of Herod was discovered north of the southern tell, and labeled "the sunken garden." Farther north were discovered the remains of a building, identified as a gymnasium.
After the Six Day War, in 1973, extensive excavations were conducted on site by archaeologist Ehud Netzer
. The excavations continued for ten seasons and covered an area of 30 hectares. The excavations also revealed remains of aqueducts to the west of Jericho.
kings until the time of Herod
were discovered. It turned out that the area of the city of Jericho was very broad. South to one of the palaces, in an area that today is the Aqabat Jaber
refugee camp, were discovered remains from the same period of luxurious houses, scattered over dozens of acres. A royal farm was discovered north of the palaces, covering an area of 450 dunams. A close connection was found between the farm and the winter palaces.
Aqueducts, which were built during the Hasmonean period, allowed the construction of the complex. Two aqueducts brought water to the site from the following springs:
The spring waters are sweet and flow year round. They allowed the establishment of the winter palaces and the farm.
The Hasmonean palace was built on a hill overlooking the city of Jericho. The palace was built during the reign of John Hyrcanus I (134 -104 BCE) or Alexander Jannaeus
(103-76 BCE).
A strong earthquake
in 31 BCE destroyed the palace. Evidence to this was found in different parts of the palace. On the site of the palace King Herod built an artificial tell. On the raised mound he built his second palace. The establishment of the mound resulted in coverage of the Hasmonean palace, and thus parts of it were preserved, such as a building wall remaining 7 meters high.
The main structure of the Hasmonean Palace was of the size 50 by 50 meters. Elements of the building were as was customary for luxury palaces in the area:
Remains were found of two pairs of swimming pools: a small pair west of the palace, and a large pair north of it. It is speculated that the pools were the focus of entertainment and enjoyment of the inhabitants of the palace. Perhaps they are also evidence the drowning of Aristobulus III (53-36 BC), the last high priest from the Hasmonean dynasty. South of the large pools was a luxurious building, whose size was 21 by 17 meters - the pavilion - a built in the style of a Doric temple. An axis of symmetry passed through the pools, the open courtyard, and the temple north of them.
"Twin palaces" were discovered as well, the two surprisingly similar to one another. The hypothesis is that they were built by Queen Shlomtzion
, (ruled 67-76 BCE) for her two sons Hyrcanus
and Aristobulus
, in order to soften the rivalry between them that lasted nearly thirty years. The size of the palaces was 25 by 25 meters. In each of the two palaces was a luxurious bathhouse.
Many ritual baths were found around the palace, whose priestly owners needed them, because they had to be ritually purified before eating terumah
. A ritual bath for vessels was also found, containing the remains of 800 bowls. The palace also served the last Hasmonean king, Antigonus Matityahu II, who ruled from 40 BC to 37 BC, as evidenced by a hoard of 20 coins which was found.
The palace was a rectangular building, 86 by 46 meters. In the center was an open courtyard with perimeter columns and a central pool draining the rainwater. In the palace were a magnificent hall, a luxurious bathhouse, and a pair of deep pools, which were apparently ritual baths.
The palace was exposed in 1951 by Pritchard, who thought it was a gymnasium. After excavation of the palace was covered over.
A unique feature of the second palace was its residence wing containing a designated recreation area. The villa was built on an artificial tell covering the Hasmonean palace: 35 by 43 meters tall, eight meters above the surroundings, providing a view of the estate's orchard and the surroundings. The second palace was full of gardens. In the pleasure wing were the big pool and a bathhouse, which has been well preserved.
, the editor of excavations at the site, believe that palace residents could see water flowing in the riverbed for up to two months a year, letting the viewers feel like they were on the edge of an actual river. The builders, who apparently were from Italy
, used construction methods that were common in their homeland such as:
Local mud bricks were also layered on top of stone construction. After being covered with plaster, there was no difference between them and the models from Italy.
The third palace of Herod, in the center of the site, included the following buildings:
resin, and sap, which produced perfumes and medicines. Some of them were sent overseas. It was an intelligent use of the warm climate of the place.
Second Temple
The Jewish Second Temple was an important shrine which stood on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem between 516 BCE and 70 CE. It replaced the First Temple which was destroyed in 586 BCE, when the Jewish nation was exiled to Babylon...
period, which were discovered in the western Jericho
Jericho
Jericho ; is a city located near the Jordan River in the West Bank of the Palestinian territories. It is the capital of the Jericho Governorate and has a population of more than 20,000. Situated well below sea level on an east-west route north of the Dead Sea, Jericho is the lowest permanently...
valley, near the entrance to Wadi Qelt
Wadi Qelt
Wadi Qelt or Nahal Prat is a valley or stream running west to east across the Judean desert in the West Bank, originating near Jerusalem and terminating near Jericho, near the Dead Sea...
and to the Roman
Ancient Rome
Ancient Rome was a thriving civilization that grew on the Italian Peninsula as early as the 8th century BC. Located along the Mediterranean Sea and centered on the city of Rome, it expanded to one of the largest empires in the ancient world....
path going down from Jerusalem to Jericho. Two tell
Tell
A tell or tel, is a type of archaeological mound created by human occupation and abandonment of a geographical site over many centuries. A classic tell looks like a low, truncated cone with a flat top and sloping sides.-Archaeology:A tell is a hill created by different civilizations living and...
s are prominent at the site, located on either side of Wadi Qelt.
The palaces are expressions of the luxurious lifestyle held by the royal families and their escorts. They made extensive use of swimming pools, bathhouses
Public bathing
Public baths originated from a communal need for cleanliness. The term public may confuse some people, as some types of public baths are restricted depending on membership, gender, religious affiliation, or other reasons. As societies have changed, public baths have been replaced as private bathing...
, ornamental gardens and orchards. The palaces were just hours away from Jerusalem – 20 km along the ancient Roman road.
History of excavations
The site was excavated in the 19th century by Charles WarrenCharles Warren
General Sir Charles Warren, GCMG, KCB, FRS was an officer in the British Royal Engineers. He was one of the earliest European archaeologists of Biblical Holy Land, and particularly of Temple Mount...
, who attempted to locate the place of Biblical Jericho. After making an archaeological trench, he concluded that this site is from the Roman period. Additional excavations were conducted by the Germans Celine and Danziger, in 1910–1911, but the results have never been published. In 1950, two expeditions from the United States dug on the site. An ornamental garden with magnificent remains from the time of Herod was discovered north of the southern tell, and labeled "the sunken garden." Farther north were discovered the remains of a building, identified as a gymnasium.
After the Six Day War, in 1973, extensive excavations were conducted on site by archaeologist Ehud Netzer
Ehud Netzer
Ehud Netzer was an Israeli architect, educator and archaeologist, known for his extensive excavations at Herodium, where in 2007 he found the tomb of Herod the Great; and the discovery of the oldest Jewish synagogue, located at Jericho....
. The excavations continued for ten seasons and covered an area of 30 hectares. The excavations also revealed remains of aqueducts to the west of Jericho.
Site description
Excavations revealed that the site covers an area of 120 hectares, and is only part of Second Temple-period Jericho. A series of winter palaces from the HasmoneanHasmonean
The Hasmonean dynasty , was the ruling dynasty of Judea and surrounding regions during classical antiquity. Between c. 140 and c. 116 BCE, the dynasty ruled semi-autonomously from the Seleucids in the region of Judea...
kings until the time of Herod
Herod
Herod is a name used of several kings belonging to the Herodian Dynasty of the Roman province of Judaea:...
were discovered. It turned out that the area of the city of Jericho was very broad. South to one of the palaces, in an area that today is the Aqabat Jaber
Aqabat Jaber
Aqabat Jaber is a Palestinian refugee camp in the Jericho Governorate of the eastern West Bank, situated in the Jordan Valley, three kilometers southwest of Jericho.-History:...
refugee camp, were discovered remains from the same period of luxurious houses, scattered over dozens of acres. A royal farm was discovered north of the palaces, covering an area of 450 dunams. A close connection was found between the farm and the winter palaces.
Aqueducts, which were built during the Hasmonean period, allowed the construction of the complex. Two aqueducts brought water to the site from the following springs:
- Wadi Qelt: Ein Perat, Ein Mabua, Ein Qelt.
- Nahal Na'aran: Ein Noema, Ein Diuk, Ein Shusha.
The spring waters are sweet and flow year round. They allowed the establishment of the winter palaces and the farm.
The Hasmonean Kings Palace
In the Hasmonean kings palace, in the north of the site, were found the following structures:- The main building.
- Swimming pool complex.
- Southern division ("twin palaces")
The Hasmonean palace was built on a hill overlooking the city of Jericho. The palace was built during the reign of John Hyrcanus I (134 -104 BCE) or Alexander Jannaeus
Alexander Jannaeus
Alexander Jannaeus was king of Judea from 103 BC to 76 BC. The son of John Hyrcanus, he inherited the throne from his brother Aristobulus I, and appears to have married his brother's widow, Shlomtzion or "Shelomit", also known as Salome Alexandra, according to the Biblical law of Yibbum...
(103-76 BCE).
A strong earthquake
Earthquake
An earthquake is the result of a sudden release of energy in the Earth's crust that creates seismic waves. The seismicity, seismism or seismic activity of an area refers to the frequency, type and size of earthquakes experienced over a period of time...
in 31 BCE destroyed the palace. Evidence to this was found in different parts of the palace. On the site of the palace King Herod built an artificial tell. On the raised mound he built his second palace. The establishment of the mound resulted in coverage of the Hasmonean palace, and thus parts of it were preserved, such as a building wall remaining 7 meters high.
The main structure of the Hasmonean Palace was of the size 50 by 50 meters. Elements of the building were as was customary for luxury palaces in the area:
- Rooms were decorated with colorful frescoes, imitating marble.
- StuccoStuccoStucco or render is a material made of an aggregate, a binder, and water. Stucco is applied wet and hardens to a very dense solid. It is used as decorative coating for walls and ceilings and as a sculptural and artistic material in architecture...
decorations in the form of building stones. - An unroofed central courtyard.
- The water flowed into the swimming pools and buildings through clay and lead pipes, buried in the ground, and aqueducts supplied water to gardens and orchards.
Remains were found of two pairs of swimming pools: a small pair west of the palace, and a large pair north of it. It is speculated that the pools were the focus of entertainment and enjoyment of the inhabitants of the palace. Perhaps they are also evidence the drowning of Aristobulus III (53-36 BC), the last high priest from the Hasmonean dynasty. South of the large pools was a luxurious building, whose size was 21 by 17 meters - the pavilion - a built in the style of a Doric temple. An axis of symmetry passed through the pools, the open courtyard, and the temple north of them.
"Twin palaces" were discovered as well, the two surprisingly similar to one another. The hypothesis is that they were built by Queen Shlomtzion
Salome Alexandra
Salome Alexandra or Alexandra of Jerusalem , was the only Jewish regnant queen, with the exception of her own husband's mother whom he had prevented from ruling as his dying father had wished, and of the much earlier usurper Athaliah...
, (ruled 67-76 BCE) for her two sons Hyrcanus
Hyrcanus II
Hyrcanus II, a member of the Hasmonean dynasty, was the Jewish High Priest and King of Judea in the 1st century BC.-Accession:Hyrcanus was the eldest son of Alexander Jannaeus, King and High Priest, and Alexandra Salome...
and Aristobulus
Aristobulus II
Aristobulus II was the Jewish High Priest and King of Judea, 66 BC to 63 BC, from the Hasmonean Dynasty.-Family:Aristobulus was the younger son of Alexander Jannaeus, King and High Priest, and Alexandra Salome. After the death of Alexander in 76 BC, his widow succeeded to the rule of Judea and...
, in order to soften the rivalry between them that lasted nearly thirty years. The size of the palaces was 25 by 25 meters. In each of the two palaces was a luxurious bathhouse.
Many ritual baths were found around the palace, whose priestly owners needed them, because they had to be ritually purified before eating terumah
Terumah
Terumah is a Hebrew word, originally meaning lifted apart, but meaning donation in modern Hebrew. It can refer to:*Heave offerings - a type of sacrifice in the Hebrew Bible...
. A ritual bath for vessels was also found, containing the remains of 800 bowls. The palace also served the last Hasmonean king, Antigonus Matityahu II, who ruled from 40 BC to 37 BC, as evidenced by a hoard of 20 coins which was found.
Herod's first palace
In the south of the site King Herod built his first palace. Meanwhile, in the north, the Hasmonean palace was still standing. The Hasmonean family continued to maintain close relations with Cleopatra, who controlled the Jericho area. The fact that protecting them against the new king.The palace was a rectangular building, 86 by 46 meters. In the center was an open courtyard with perimeter columns and a central pool draining the rainwater. In the palace were a magnificent hall, a luxurious bathhouse, and a pair of deep pools, which were apparently ritual baths.
The palace was exposed in 1951 by Pritchard, who thought it was a gymnasium. After excavation of the palace was covered over.
Herod's second palace
The second palace was built in 31 BCE. Herod won the trust of Augustus Caesar and in return received the Jericho area from Cleopatra. Previously, an earthquake of 31 BCE Herod decided to build a second palace on the ruins of the Hasmonean palace. He combined the pools of the Hasmonean palace into one large pool: 32 by 18 meters. The second palace (north of Wadi Qelt) along with the first palace (south of Wadi Qelt) - served Herod for residential and ceremonial purposes.A unique feature of the second palace was its residence wing containing a designated recreation area. The villa was built on an artificial tell covering the Hasmonean palace: 35 by 43 meters tall, eight meters above the surroundings, providing a view of the estate's orchard and the surroundings. The second palace was full of gardens. In the pleasure wing were the big pool and a bathhouse, which has been well preserved.
Herod's Third Palace
The third palace was the most magnificent of the palaces. It was established on both sides of Wadi Qelt. Ehud NetzerEhud Netzer
Ehud Netzer was an Israeli architect, educator and archaeologist, known for his extensive excavations at Herodium, where in 2007 he found the tomb of Herod the Great; and the discovery of the oldest Jewish synagogue, located at Jericho....
, the editor of excavations at the site, believe that palace residents could see water flowing in the riverbed for up to two months a year, letting the viewers feel like they were on the edge of an actual river. The builders, who apparently were from Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, used construction methods that were common in their homeland such as:
- Opus reticulatumOpus reticulatumOpus reticulatum is a form of brickwork used in ancient Roman architecture. It consists of diamond-shaped bricks of tuff placed around a core of opus caementicium...
- small stones, 10 cm by 10 cm, placed in diagonal rows. In Jericho they were anointed with white or colored plaster. - Opus Koodroas - rectangular stones.
Local mud bricks were also layered on top of stone construction. After being covered with plaster, there was no difference between them and the models from Italy.
The third palace of Herod, in the center of the site, included the following buildings:
- The north wing.
- Sunken garden.
- The southern mound.
- Big pool.
Royal estate
In the estate a huge wine-press was found, which was probably used for making wine and "date honey". Farm crops, according to literary sources, were: palm trees, persimmonPersimmon
A persimmon is the edible fruit of a number of species of trees in the genus Diospyros in the ebony wood family . The word Diospyros means "the fire of Zeus" in ancient Greek. As a tree, it is a perennial plant...
resin, and sap, which produced perfumes and medicines. Some of them were sent overseas. It was an intelligent use of the warm climate of the place.