Throne Room Forecourt

A view looking south at the forecourt of the Throne Room of Herod the Great.   Notice the carved plaster on the walls that has been carved to look like Herodian masonry.  They have smooth bosses and narrow margins.  Compare the stones in the foundation of the Temple Mount in Jerusalem.  Everything above the black lines is reconstructed.

When one was entering into the presence of Herod, you would walk between the two columns (now stubs) into the forecourt and turn left and face the king on his throne—in his Throne Room.

In the upper portion of the image, the chalky hills of the Judean Wilderness are visible.

For a brief description of the Western Palace Click Here.