HERODIUM Final Reports of the 1972–2010 Excavations Directed by Ehud Netzer Volume I Herod’s Tomb Precinct Roi Porat, Rachel Chachy, and Yakov Kalman with contributions by: N. Ahipaz, S. Amorai-Stark, B. Arensburg, A. Barash, A. Belfer-Cohen, R. Bouchnick, A. Ecker, E. Eshel, G. Foerster, J. Gärtner, M. Hershkovitz, S. Ilani, R.E. Jackson-Tal, I. Ktalav, T. Minster, R. Nenner-Soriano, O. Peleg-Barkat, R. Sarig, D.R. Schwartz, G.D. Stiebel, D. Wachs, and B. Zissu Israel Exploration Society Institute of Archaeology, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem Jerusalem 2015 THIS VOLUME WAS MADE POSSIBLE BY THE SAMIS FOUNDATION ISBN 978-965-221-099-9 ©2015 Israel Exploration Society All rights reserved. This book may not be reproduced in whole or in part, in any form (except for brief excerpts of reviewers), without permission from the publisher. Editing by Robert Amoils Layout by Avraham Pladot Typesetting by Marzel A.S. — Jerusalem Printed by Old City Press Ltd., Jerusalem Contents Samuel Israel .................................................ix–x Preface ................................................xi–xxi List of Loci .............................................xxii–xxviii List of Illustrations, Plans, Tables, and Plates ...........................xxix–xliv PART I: Introduction Chapter 1: Herodium in History (Daniel R. Schwartz)........................1–14 Chapter 2: History of Research (Rachel Chachy) ..........................15–19 PART II: Stratigraphy and Architecture Chapter 3: The Stratigraphy in the Area of Herod’s Tomb Precinct (Roi Porat, Yakov Kalman, and Rachel Chachy) ...................21–200 PART III: The Mausoleum Chapter 4: The Reconstruction of the Mausoleum (Rachel Chachy) .............201–313 Chapter 5: The Architectural Decoration of the Mausoleum (Orit Peleg-Barkat and Rachel Chachy) .......................314–348 Chapter 6: The Sarcophagi from the Mausoleum Unearthed at Herodium (Gideon Foerster) ....................................349–361 Chapter 7: Human Bones from the Area of the Mausoleum (Anna Belfer-Cohen, Baruch Arensburg, Alon Barash, and Raheli Sarig) ................362–364 PART IV: The Finds Chapter 8: The Pottery from the Area of the Mausoleum (Judit Gärtner) ..........365–395 Chapter 9: The Glass Finds from the Area of Herod’s Tomb (Ruth E. Jackson-Tal) ....396–408 Chapter 10: The Coins from Herodium — the Tomb Area (Nili Ahipaz) ...........409–425 Chapter 11: The Metal Artifacts from the Area of the Mausoleum (Ravit Nenner-Soriano).................................426–431 Chapter 12: Military Equipment from the Area of the Mausoleum and the Theater at Herodium (Guy D. Stiebel) .............................432–453 Chapter 13: The Latin and Greek Inscribed Pottery from the Area of the Tomb at Herodium (Avner Ecker) ..............................454–459 Chapter 14: The Hebrew and Aramaic Inscriptions from the Area of the Tomb at Herodium (Esther Eshel) ..............................460–473 Chapter 15: Gem and Ring from Herodium (Malka Hershkovitz and Shua Amorai-Stark) . 474–475 Chapter 16: Finds of Animal Remains from the Excavations on the Northern Slope of Herodium (Area A), 2006–2010 (Ram Bouchnick)...............476–503 Chapter 17: The Molluscs (Inbar Ktalav) ..............................504–510 Chapter 18: Graffito of a Ship and a Boat (Boaz Zissu) ......................511–514 Conclusions Synthesis and Archaeological-Historical Discussion (Roi Porat, Yakov Kalman, and Rachel Chachy) ..................515–534 Appendix I The Geological and Morphological Structure of Herodium and the Quarries for Building Stones and Fill Materials (Shimon Ilani, Tsevi Minster, and Daniel Wachs) . 535–546 Color Plates CHAPTER 9 THE GLASS FINDS FROM THE AREA OF HEROD’S TOMB Ruth E. Jackson-Tal Some 110 glass fragments were found in the tomb area, of which 27 identifiable vessels and small finds are discussed and presented below in a catalogue.1 The vessels were made by sagging, free-blowing, and mold-blowing. The glass assemblage consists mainly of bowls and beakers; bottles were found in smaller numbers. Most of the vessels were made of colorless glass, and a few were of green and yellowish-brown glass. They were covered with black, silver, and white weathering and a shiny iridescence. The other 80 glass fragments are made up of 17 grooved cast bowls, five wall fragments and bases with vertical tooled ribs, five rounded beaker rims, two incised wall fragments, two bottle necks, and two tubular bases, the rest being unidentifiable small wall fragments. The stratigraphic context in which the catalogued items were found ranges more or less from the earliest to the latest occupation of this area. The earliest context with regard to the glass finds belongs to the stage of the ritual bath (miqveh) revealed to the north of Herod’s tomb, which predates the latter. The following context postdates this miqveh, but predates the creation of the artificial mount. Next in line is the stage that postdates the late stairway (and the creation of the artificial mount), and thus also the construction of Herod’s tomb; it should most probably be dated after Herod’s death, but prior to the First Jewish Revolt. Most common are the contexts relating to the First Revolt and postdating the destruction of the mauso- leum. In particular, the huge refuse dump, revealed between the ruins of the mausoleum and those of the late stairway featured many finds. This dump seems to have been created at the end of the First Revolt by the Roman army who took control of the Mountain Palace-Fortress and apparently cleaned up ‘garbage’ left there by the earlier occupants.2 Alternatively, but less likely, it might have been the result of earlier clean-up operations by the rebels themselves, near the end of the revolt. The latest context featuring cata- logued finds postdates the First Revolt and extends up to the time of the Bar-Kokhba Revolt. LINEAR-CUT BOWLS (Pl. 9.I: 1–3) indicating it was deep with two sets of horizontal grooves on the interior. Bowl no. 2 was probably These bowls can be identified as linear-cut bowls, conical with a single remaining horizontal groove on dated to the last quarter of the first century BCE and the interior, and bowl no. 3 was probably deep with the first half of the first century CE (Grose 1979: straight walls and a single remaining horizontal 63–65). They were probably produced by the sag- ging technique, deriving from casting, where a groove on the interior. rounded glass disc is placed on or in a rounded mold Similar bowls of these various shapes have been in the furnace until it slumps into the desired shape found throughout Israel, in contexts dated from the (Grose 1989: 194). Some 20 linear-cut bowl frag- mid-first century BCE to the first century CE (Jack- ments were found at the tomb, three of which are pre- son-Tal 2009: 222–223, Type 2.A.5, Fig. 5.4: 1–13). sented here. Bowl no. 1 has a complete profile, At Herodium, the various fragments of bowl no. 1 [ 396 ] CHAPTER 9: THE GLASS FINDS Pl. 9.I. Glass bowl fragments found in the tomb area. [ 397 ] HERODIUM I: HEROD’S TOMB PRECINCT were found below the upper floor, in front of the film. Outsplayed rounded rim with double tubular ritual bath (miqveh) revealed to the north of Herod’s fold below. Rim diam.: 12 cm. tomb, and predating it. Bowl no. 2 came from inside the pool to the west of the mausoleum, from a layer predating the First Revolt; bowl no. 3 was revealed BOWL WITH FOLDED RIM (Pl. 9.I: 5) in a refuse dump exposed to the east of the eastern boundary wall of the tomb’s precinct, which predates Bowls with folded rims were common in ancient the creation of the artificial mount. Israel throughout the Roman period, and therefore 1. L.A2920–6560, L.A2928–6584, L.A2930–6608. their exact date is uncertain. Complete profile. Yellow-brown with white and Similar bowls were found mainly in contexts dated silver weathering and iridescent film. Straight, to the time of the Bar-Kokhba Revolt, but earlier rounded thickened rim and rounded wall with examples dated to the first century CE are also three grooves on the interior. Flat base. Rim known (Jackson-Tal 2009: 238–239, Type 3.A.5, diam.: 14 cm. Base diam.: 6 cm. Fig. 5.14: 1–7). At Herodium, bowl no. 5 was revealed in the refuse dump exposed between the 2. L.A2660–5445. Rim-and-wall fragment. Color- ruins of the mausoleum and those of the late stair- less with thick black and silver weathering and way, which can be dated around the end of the First iridescent film. Slightly flaring, rounded rim and Revolt. curving wall with one groove on the interior. Rim 5. L.A2658–6074. Rim-and-wall fragment. Color- diam.: 18 cm. less with greenish tinge. Silver weathering and 3. L.A2545–5074. Rim-and-wall fragment. Color- iridescent film. Incurving and outfolded rim. less with thick black and silver weathering and Beginning of rounded wall. Rim diam.: 19 cm. iridescent film. Flaring rounded rim and straight wall with one groove on the interior. Rim diam.: 10 cm. BOWLS/BEAKERS WITH STRAIGHT WALLS (Pl. 9.I: 6–9) BOWL WITH DOUBLE TUBULAR This type of small bowls or beakers with straight FOLD (Pl. 9.I: 4) walls and straight or flaring thickened rounded rims has a shape that is simple to produce and use. There- Bowls with double tubular folds below their rims or fore it was very common in ancient Israel and the on the wall were common throughout the Roman Roman Empire throughout the Roman period. In period and are dated according to their fabric, loca- Israel such vessels are known in contexts dated to the tion, the shape of their fold, and the archaeological first–early second century CE (Jackson-Tal 2009: context. The bowls were free-blown and the folds 246, Type 3.A.17, Fig.