HEROD'S BATH - THE CALDARIUM

The partly reconstructed caldarium of Herod's bathhouse at Masada

It would be a mistake to think of the bathhouse at Masada as simply a place to get clean. For Romanized Jews like Herod, the bath was a social ritual, a place where you met your friends in a relaxed atmosphere, talked, told a joke or two, and simply whiled away the time.

Only the rich could afford a private bath like the one at Masada. Ordinary people went to public baths.

Herod's ornate baths were an important status symbol. But their status value goes right off the radar when you realize how precious water was on this isolated, arid plateau.

The image above shows the partly reconstructed caldarium or hot room. The heat in this room was like a Turkish bath. Hot air from a furnace circulated underneath the floor and through the walls.

The warm air of the caldarium had a purpose: heat releases dirt from the pores of the skin, making it easier to remove.

Each bather was rubbed all over with olive oil, then used a strigil or scraper to remove the dirt. After this, the bather went to the frigidarium or cool room, or plunged into a swimming pool before getting dressed again.

 Frescoes in the thermal bath at Masada