---
title: Herod's Palace, Caesarea Maritima
author: Patrick Scott Smith, M. A.
source: https://www.worldhistory.org/image/21735/herods-palace-caesarea-maritima/
format: machine-readable-alternate
license: Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0)
updated: 2026-05-02
---
# Herod's Palace, Caesarea Maritima
_Authored by [Patrick Scott Smith, M. A. ](https://www.worldhistory.org/user/patrickscottsmith1956/)_
## Image File
[](https://www.worldhistory.org/uploads/images/21735.jpg)
## Image Caption
Among the many buildings and palaces that were built by [Herod the Great](https://www.worldhistory.org/Herod_the_Great/) throughout the [city](https://www.worldhistory.org/city/) of [Caesarea Maritima](https://www.worldhistory.org/Caesarea_Maritima/), perhaps reflecting his own grandiosity, the largest and most splendid [palace](https://www.worldhistory.org/disambiguation/palace/) would have been Herod's. On an east/west rectangular plan, this magnificent structure was perched on a lone promontory on the sea. As excavations reveal, built with two adjacent levels, known as the upper and lower palaces, the lower 80 x 55 meter (260 x 180 ft) structure, closest to the sea, boasted a semicircular colonnaded porch that looked out onto the water. From there, walking back into the building, perimeter rooms would have accessed an inner colonnaded courtyard, the space which was largely filled with a 35 x 18 meter (115 x 60 ft) freshwater pool. With a stairway leading up to it, the Upper Palace was dominated by a large 64 x 42 meter (210 x 138 foot) colonnaded courtyard.
The future significance of the palace is that it became the headquarters for [Rome](https://www.worldhistory.org/Rome/)’s imperial activity in the area after Herod’s [death](https://www.worldhistory.org/disambiguation/Death/). Rome's long-term presence is evident in a recent find at the palace of two pedestals with inscriptions that honor four [Roman](https://www.worldhistory.org/disambiguation/Roman/) procurators, dating from the 2nd century to the early 4th century CE.
Using archaeological reports by Ehud Netzer, Barbara Burrell, Kenneth Holum, Robert Bull, and others, along with [Josephus](https://www.worldhistory.org/Flavius_Josephus/)' eyewitness descriptions, the image you see is part of the collaborative work of Lithodomos and Patrick Scott Smith.
#### Editorial Review
This human-authored image has been reviewed by our editorial team before publication to ensure accuracy, reliability and adherence to academic standards in accordance with our [editorial policy](https://www.worldhistory.org/static/editorial-policy/).
## About the Author
Presenting research for the American Society of Overseas Research and Missouri Academy of Science and writing for the Association for the Scientific Study of Religion, Patrick Smith won the 2015 and 2024 Frank Forwood Award for Excellence in Research.
## Cite This Work
### APA
A., P. S. S. M. (2026, May 02). Herod's Palace, Caesarea Maritima. *World History Encyclopedia*.
### Chicago
A., Patrick Scott Smith, M.. "Herod's Palace, Caesarea Maritima." *World History Encyclopedia*, May 02, 2026. .
### MLA
A., Patrick Scott Smith, M.. "Herod's Palace, Caesarea Maritima." *World History Encyclopedia*, 02 May 2026, .
## License & Copyright
Submitted by [Patrick Scott Smith, M. A.](https://www.worldhistory.org/user/patrickscottsmith1956/ "User Page: Patrick Scott Smith, M. A."), published on 02 May 2026. The copyright holder has published this content under the following license: [Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0deed.en). This licence only allows others to download this content and share it with others as long as the author is credited, but they can't change the content in any way or use it commercially. When republishing on the web a hyperlink back to the original content source URL must be included. Please note that content linked from this page may have different licensing terms.