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View looking southwest at the second "Peristyle Courtyard" of Herod the Great's Third Palace at Jericho.
It is outlined by the still preserved column stubs. The area between the columns and the walls was covered, while the central area was open to the sky.
It is interesting to note that the columns were made out of a form of opus reticulatum—which is very unusual! They were then covered with plaster.
The stones that are laid diagonally are called opus reticulatum. The long portion of each brick, wedge–shaped, but not really visible, is set in plaster that faced the rubble core. The opus reticulatum was then covered with layers of plaster and/or frescos—see the bottom of the wall for plaster remnants.
This type of wall is not common in buildings constructed during the days of Herod the Great. Netzer believes that after the visit of Marcus Agrippa , Augustus' son–in–law and confidant, in 15 BCE, that Agrippa sent workmen to assist Herod in his remaining building projects (Herod died in 4 BCE) which included the building of this, the "Third Palace of Herod" at Jericho.
