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Zev Radovan/www.biblelandpictures.com

HERODIAN-STYLE ARCHITECTURE. Josephus tells us that the Antonia had a tower at each of its four corners—three of these were 50 cubits high, but the southeastern tower (the one on the Temple Mount itself) was 70 cubits high. Using the palace/fortress Herod built at Herodium as an example, it is easier to visualize what Josephus was talking about. Although Herodium is circular (compared to the square Antonia), the layout of the towers is similar. Here, four towers mark the perimeter of the structure. The north, west and south towers were semicircular and measure about 52 feet in diameter. They probably contained cellars and dormitories and stood five or six stories high. The eastern tower, however, is a full circle 55 feet in diameter. Its solid base could have supported nine stories, including guest apartments that took advantage of the breeze and the stunning view to the Dead Sea.