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 Ein Tzur (Ramat Hanadiv)  29 pictures
 1 minutes HQ video The spring originates about 70 meters from the southern gate of the palace. The water flows in a hewn tunnel and channeled through an aqueduct into a large pool, that probably served as a swimming pool and a reservoir. This is one of the earliest and best preserved water supply systems found in Israel, which includes the origin of the spring, an aqueduct and a pool. Ein-Tzur  The hewn tunnel of Ein-Tzur Spring is 47 meters long. It was dug along a natural crack in the bedrock. Reconstruction of the spring's tunnel was done in the summer of 2002. Today one can walk in the tunnel only until the first shaft, 15 meters from the entrance. The water, which originates all year long, flows along the tunnel and into the 32 meter aqueduct, which, in turn, leads the water into the swimming pool. The aqueduct is made of hewn stone bricks supporting a gabled roof made of large stone plates with an opening meant to ease the maintenance of the aqueduct.  At the edge of the aqueduct there is a "stopper" - a stone with a small hole in it. This stopper allowed the aqueduct to be filled with water and was removed to fill the pool with fresh water. The pool supplied water for agricultural uses and also served as a swimming pool. It was emptied through a round opening, covered with lead, at the base of the eastern wall. The water from the pool was used to irrigate the adjacent orchards and fields. A second opening, in the north-eastern wall, about 1 meter above the bottom of the pool, led the water through a short channel to an ancient building.   The bathhouse.  The highlight of this magnificent Herodian compound is the bathhouse, located east of the swimming pool. This was a private bathhouse that belonged to a distinguished owner and was designed for relaxing pastime as well as for hygienic purposes. The bathhouse is a rectangular structure, divided into four rooms, arranged one after the other: From the entrance the bathers went down a flight of seven stairs to the dressing room (apoditarium). Here, in the corner, stood a bath of cold water (frigidarium). After dipping in the cold water the bathers proceeded to a middle room (tepidarium) and from there to the main, heated, bathing room (caldarium).  The white mosaic floor of this room is laid above a thick layer of plaster and over clay tiles supported by stone pillars. From the adjacent furnace chamber (praefurnium) flowed hot air between the pillars and into a network of clay pipes attached to the walls. The furnace itself did not survive, but its supporting walls were discovered with burn marks, cinder and lampblack. Columbarium  This was a large pigeonry, of which only the round base remained. The columbarium was built as a round tower, 9.2 meters in diameter and 8-10 meters high. Hundreds of pigeons were bred here to supply manure for the agricultural lots and pigeon meat to the inhabitants of the compound as well as for ritualistic purposes.  Back to Israel Index
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