The Northern Palace 6 – This grand and daring building constructed by Herod is Masada’s architectural gem. It is 30 m high, built on three rock terraces and supported by impressive retaining walls. Combining both Hellenistic and Roman architectural elements, the palace was built to host high-ranking visitors and to allow the king his solitude. Herod and his family lived on the upper level, and the two lower levels were for receptions. The upper terrace 6a – This level, consisting of the king’s private rooms and a lookout patio, has been preserved in its original Herodian form. In the center of this semicircular terrace, which was once surrounded by columns, remains of a magnificent garden have recently been discovered. Remnants of the Roman siege system and the ancient road northward can clearly be seen from this terrace. In addition to the strategic advantage of the palace’s location at the inaccessible northern edge of the cliff, residents could enjoy the shade and the breeze at this point. From here you can look down on the two lower levels of the palace. Descent to these levels in antiquity was via a flight of stairs west of the palace that was destroyed in an earthquake. The residential wing consisted of four rooms and a central roofed hall. Its rooms were paved with mosaics containing geometric patterns, and their walls were covered with frescoes. A model depicting the restored Northern Palace can be seen in the central hall. A black and white mosaic has been preserved in the southwestern room. A similar mosaic design can be seen in the courtyard of the large bathhouse. Parallels of this style have been found in Italy, which indicates that Herod brought the mosaic masters, like his fresco artists, from Italy.
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