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View of the small theater (odeum) at the Herodium. The semi-circular orchestra area is in the lower left portion of the image.
In the center of the image, the semicircular rows of seating (cavea) are visible. A total of thirteen rows of stone seats accommodated an audience of about three hundred. Six of the rows have been reconstructed. Above them is a walkway (diazoma). And above that, seats that have not been reconstructed. Above them is a wall, and the remnants of frescos are visible there.
Above the cavea is a modern building with a porch. This building protects the well-preserved remnants of the Royal Reception Hall. This was a two-story structure that overlooked the theater. The Royal Box was decorated with stucco reliefs and colorful wall paintings.
The theater and room were probably redecorated in anticipation of the visit of Marcus Agrippa, Augustus's right-hand man, in 15 or 14 BC.
After the visit of Marcus Agrippa, when Herod turned the Herodum into a mausoleum, the theater was destroyed and covered with dirt and debris.
