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A THEATER FIT FOR A KING. As excavations continued along the stairway on the northeast slope of Herodium, another surprise revealed itself. There stood a small but sophisticated theater that could hold up to 450 spectators. Netzer dates the theater’s construction to 15 B.C.E., when Herod hosted the Roman general and statesman Marcus Agrippa at several sites in Judea, including Herodium.

The crowning jewel of the theater is the royal box prominently located at the top center of the auditorium (seen in this preliminary plan). This luxurious box was lavishly decorated in the Italian style—possibly by artisans sent by Marcus Agrippa himself.