The Roman Bathhouse

Archaeological evidence and building remains, show that the ruin of Irtah included a public bath building dating back to the Roman period. The bathhouse was subjected to a lot of interference and change during the subsequent eras, especially the Islamic eras, as a result of the addition of the construction of the shrine of the daughters of Jacob on the essential part of the bathhouse building. What is now left of it, is the double pool that used to supply the bathhouse with the necessary water.The water was likely flowing from the pool to the bathhouse through underground clay pipes, relying on the force of gravity to flow. The pool was fed with water from one of the nearby springs, especially since the area of Irtah is famous for its abundance of water and springs throughout history, and up to the present time.Other remnants of the bathhouse are the walls, which appear mainly below the floor level of the shrine. Roman public baths had a unified system of construction, and were an essential part of the urban fabric of Roman cities.The general planning of these baths was based on three main sections: the first is the outer suite (the cold section), usually in the form of a spacious hall dedicated to welcoming the clients, and bathing them at moderate temperatures. The second is the area that mediates the building that includes the shower rooms, which is the thermal bath where the primary shower process takes place. The third section is the hottest (steam room).The room temperature depends on how close or far it is to this boiler, where the process of heating the water, and its temperature relies on burning wood to heat the boiler located at the bottom of the bathhouse floor; a network of pottery pipes was distributed under the bathhouse floors, and inside its walls.