Masada the Creation of King Herod

Masada the Creation of King Herod

Ancient Biblical Architecture:

Masada the Creation of King Herod

ARC2701 – History of Architecture I

August 7, 2011

Introduction

The ancient times have produced a variety of magnificent structures. One of them can be found near the Dead Sea, which is known as the lowest point in the world. Near this spot is Masada, which is on the very top of a cliff near the western end of the Judean Desert and overlooks the Dead Sea (see fig. 11). It is best known as the spot where a siege by Roman forces barely crushed a revolt by Jewish forces. Today it is a tourist spot. There is one figure that should be credited for the notoriety of this ancient place. That person is King Herod the Great, who built an ancient palace there between 37 and 31 BCE. It consisted of three floors surrounded by heavy walls and was constructed entirely of stone. This plateau is shaped like a rhomboid and measures 600 meters by 300 meters.

Background Investigation

During ancient times, the architectural structures that were built were intrinsic. Kings like Herod the Great felt that that by building their palaces on top of mountains, they would feel more powerful. The fortress was built with living quarters, a storeroom, a temple, a library and even a kitchen (see fig. 16). Notice that the structures constructed in ancient times might have been built and designed differently, but the rooms remain the same. To allow air to pass through the bottom of the structures, columns were incorporated into the underground design, allowing warm air to circulate under the floor, specifically of the bath house.

Herod’s Palace at Masada consisted of three tiers that were constructed in a unique fashion (see fig. 14). It can be compared to how a side of any pyramid is built, only that the architectural design that brought them together went hand in hand with the cliff where the palace was located. The bottom one was located at the lower portion of the cliff, the...