King Herod's Palace Contained Luxury Theater Box: Big Pic

Sept. 22, 2010 -- Archaeologists have uncovered a 400-seat theater complete with a luxury box at King Herod's winter palace.

In this photo, we see remnants of the frescoes that originally adorned the complex around 15 B.C. The private box had been richly decorated with paintings and plaster moldings, which were created by Roman artists commissioned by Herod.Although the private box is a recent discovery, the theater was first excavated in 2008, discovered a short distance from Herod's mausoleum.

The Romans appointed Herod the king of Judea around 40 B.C. Under his rule, Herod expanded the Jewish second temple, known as the Temple Mount, and initiated public works projects.