KING HEROD'S NORTHERN PALACE, MASADA. This palace is the architectural gem of Masada. 30 meters high and built on three rock terraces supported by impressive retaining walls, the Northern Palace of Masada is a spectacular feat of engineering.

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. Look also for the modern models displayed at the Upper Level of the Palace showing how the palace may have appeared at the time of Herod (3P and 4P). It was daringly constructed on the very edge of a cliff. The northern edge of the Masada rock is only 2-3 meters wide, and Herod's engineers had to fashion some kind of artificial platform with the aid of powerful supporting walls.see more: http://mosaic.lk.net/g-masada.html