Machaerus Anastyloses: The Re-Erection of Two Complete Herodian Columns in the Fortified Royal Palace at the Dead Sea

The archaeological site of Machaerus at the Dead Sea is the historical place where St John the Baptist was imprisoned and beheaded. This important scene of the Gospels were excavated by the Studium Biblicum Franciscanum in two excavation periods under the direction of its late Professors Virgilio Corbo (1978- 1981) and Michele Piccirillo (1992-1993). The Research Team of the Hungarian Academy of Arts has been conducting archaeological excavations and surveys on this pilgrim site since 2009, under the direction of the present author. The article describes the theoretical architectural reconstructions of the Herodian Doric peristyle courtyard and the Ionic royal bathhouse, together with the 2014 anastylosis re-erection of one of their original columns, respectively. Most of the architectural elements of these two genuine Herodian columns of the fortified royal palace were excavated by the Studium Biblicum Franciscanum.