Near Arad in Tamar Regional Council, Southern District, Israel — West Asia (the Levant in the Middle East)
Bathing in Roman Style
Photographed By Dale K. Benington, March 11, 2013
1. Bathing in Roman Style Marker
Close up view of the text on the historical marker.
"The fittings of the interior - apartments, colonnades and baths - were of manifold variety and sumptuous ..."
Josephus Flavius
Beyond the human need for cleanliness, the bathhouse also had a social function. Bathing and the associated physical activities were an important element in Roman social and cultural life, to which Herod aspired. This was where the king and his guests met, bathed and exercised. The sophisticated bathing arrangements, which are reminiscent of a dry sauna in our days, the vivid wall paintings and the colorful stone floors demonstrate the opulence, the high standard of living and the importance that Herod assigned to the bathhouses in his palaces. Bathing took place in the rooms inside the building, and the bathers exercised in the courtyard, which was surrounded by a roofed colonnade.
In the period of the revolt, the bathhouse was adapted to the rulings relating to bathing and purity in Jewish law. We find evidence of this in the two ritual bath (mikvehs) and the bench built from drums of the dismantled columns of the courtyard.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Anthropology & Archaeology • Forts and Castles.
Location. 31° 19.065′ N, 35° 21.251′
this page online
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. The Discovery Location of the "Lots" (within shouting distance of this marker); The Northern Palace (within shouting distance of this marker); The Upper Terrace (within shouting distance of this marker); How can one survive here? (within shouting distance of this marker); The Water Gate (within shouting distance of this marker); The Rebel's Community Life (within shouting distance of this marker); Life in a fortified palace (within shouting distance of this marker); The Commandant's Residence (about 90 meters away, measured in a direct line). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Arad.
Related markers. Click here for a list of markers that are related to this marker. To better understand the relationship, study each marker in the order shown.
Also see . . .
1. Masada. This is a link to information provided by
Photographed By Dale K. Benington, March 11, 2013
2. Bathing in Roman Style Marker
View of the historical marker, near the entrance to the bathhouse, in the northern palace area.
2. Masada - UNESCO World Heritage Centre. This is a link to information provided by the UNESCO World Heritage Centre. (Submitted on April 2, 2013, by Dale K. Benington of Toledo, Ohio.)
3. Masada. This is a link to information provided by BibleWalks.com. (Submitted on April 2, 2013, by Dale K. Benington of Toledo, Ohio.)
4. MASADA The Roman bath house. This is a link to information provided by Flickr from Yahoo. (Submitted on April 2, 2013, by Dale K. Benington of Toledo, Ohio.)
Photographed By Dale K. Benington, March 11, 2013
3. Bathing in Roman Style Marker
Close-up view of an artist's rendering of what the bathhouse at Masada looked like.
Photographed By Dale K. Benington, March 11, 2013
4. Bathing in Roman Style Marker
View of visitors on the walkway in front of the historical marker. The visitors follow the walkway beyond the historical markers, to the bathhouse entrance, seen in the left background of the picture.
Photographed By Dale K. Benington, March 11, 2013
5. Bathing in Roman Style
Interior view of one of the rooms in the Roman Bathhouse at Masada. Note painted walls.
Photographed By Dale K. Benington, March 11, 2013
6. Bathing in Roman Style
Another interior view of the same room, in the Roman Bathhouse at Masada. Note the few remaining floor tiles around what seems to be a small bathing pool, with a crude finish, that was later added to the room by either the Romans or the zealots.
Photographed By Dale K. Benington, March 11, 2013
7. Bathing in Roman Style
View of yet another room in the Roman Bathhouse at Masada. I believe that this is the room that provides the, "sophisticated bathing arrangements, which are reminiscent of a dry sauna in our days," that the historical marker refers to.
Photographed By Dale K. Benington, March 11, 2013
8. Bathing in Roman Style
View of some restoration work that has been added to the floor of the dry sauna like room of the Roman Bathhouse at Masada.
Photographed By Dale K. Benington, March 11, 2013
9. Bathing in Roman Style
Another view of the floor in the dry sauna like room of the Roman Bathhouse at Masada.
Credits. This page was last revised on June 4, 2023. It was originally submitted on April 2, 2013, by Dale K. Benington of Toledo, Ohio. This page has been viewed 590 times since then and 12 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9. submitted on April 2, 2013, by Dale K. Benington of Toledo, Ohio.
