Herod
the Great built for himself a winter palace at Jericho, Being 1,000
feet below sea level, Jericho remains warm in the winter, when in other
parts of Judea there may even be snow. Josephus writes, "The climate
is so mild that the inhabitants wear linen when snow is falling throughout
the rest of Judea" (War 4.473). Herod's engineers diverted
water from springs in the nearby Wadi Qelt to supply water for gardens,
baths and a large swimming pool. Large palm trees were planted for shade.
The reception hall was 60 by 100 ft. with a mosaic floor. Columns lined
the outside of the reception hall. Next to the reception hall was a
courtyard with a surrounding portico. Then came another court that led
into a Roman bath consisting
of five rooms. One would first enter dressing rooms and then the tepidarium
(warm bath). At opposite ends were the caldarium (steam bath), where
bathers sat and perspired, scraping their skin with a strigil, a curved
metal tool and the frigidarium (cold bath). On the northern and southern
sides of the palace were service rooms and a smaller reception hall.
Herod
the Great built for himself a winter palace at Jericho, Being 1,000
feet below sea level, Jericho remains warm in the winter, when in other
parts of Judea there may even be snow. Josephus writes, "The climate
is so mild that the inhabitants wear linen when snow is falling throughout
the rest of Judea" (War 4.473). Herod's engineers diverted
water from springs in the nearby Wadi Qelt to supply water for gardens,
baths and a large swimming pool. Large palm trees were planted for shade.
The reception hall was 60 by 100 ft. with a mosaic floor. Columns lined
the outside of the reception hall. Next to the reception hall was a
courtyard with a surrounding portico. Then came another court that led
into a Roman bath 
consisting
of five rooms. One would first enter dressing rooms and then the tepidarium
(warm bath). At opposite ends were the caldarium (steam bath), where
bathers sat and perspired, scraping their skin with a strigil, a curved
metal tool and the frigidarium (cold bath). On the northern and southern
sides of the palace were service rooms and a smaller reception hall.
