Page 19 - Holyland Magazine - 2015 edition
P. 19
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A group praying on the
southern steps to the Hulda
Gate. Photo: Aviad Yekutieli
By Shahar Shilo
A idea about the remains of the ancient city,
scorching sun blazed above the white
stone houses of Jerusalem. The city’s
and set it up around the city as it looked in
Jewish warriors and defenders were
the 16th century. Within a few decades,
exhausted from the heat, hunger and
Jerusalem took the form we know today,
incessant ighting against Rome’s
iercest legions. The searing summer of 70
Armenian, Jewish and Muslim. Concealed
AD was the last one to shine over the beautiful neatly divided into four quarters - Christian,
beneath today’s Jewish Quarter are most of
Temple, reconstructed and remodelled by
King Herod just a hundred years earlier. On the streets and houses of ancient Jerusalem
the ninth day of Av (the eleventh month of the during its glory days. Here we can visit sites
Jewish calendar), hungry lames licked the that stood in the heart of town, the same seat
of priesthood and power as in the days of
Mount and devoured its most resplendent
Temple. The destruction of Jerusalem by the King Herod. Beneath its cobblestones, the
Roman Empire was exactly like Jesus had Jewish Quarter harbors what was the most
prophesied just a few decades earlier, while aluent and impressive section of Jerusalem
standing on Mount of Olives, looking at the during the Second Temple era.
Temple and foretelling its demise. One by
one, inhabitants and defenders led to the The following are some of the must-see sites,
one part of town that had not yet succumbed for anyone who wants to get to know the
to the Romans - the seat of the priesthood
and power, with its magniicent houses ancient city described in Holy Scripture. You
won’t want to miss any of them when visiting
rising over the western hill, right in front of
the holy city of Jerusalem.
the Temple Mount. Jerusalem held out for The Burnt House
another month, but the city inally capitulated In the Jewish Quarter, under the cobblestones
- its houses were leveled and it was burned to The Herodian Quarter of the main axis, is a hidden entrance leading
the ground. The days of the Second Temple Just south of the Hurva Synagogue, and of to a lavish dwelling from the Second Temple
were over. The Jewish people went into a period. This was the house of Kathros, a
the main axis of the Jewish Quarter, you can
long exile that lasted almost 2,000 years. notable family of priests mentioned in the
enter the ancient haunt of Jerusalem’s elite,
The last remains of this ancient city were Talmud. The dwelling was buried under a
rising over the western hill in the days of the
thick layer of ash and rubble, and the indings
buried under rubble, became a time capsule, Second Temple. A tour of this remarkable
and many many days would pass before it site provides you with a glimpse into the lives excavated tell the story of the tragedy that
would be excavated and see the light of day of the rich and famous in the heyday of the struck on the day this aluent neighborhood
again, under modern day Jerusalem. ancient city. Here are beautiful mosaic loors, fell under the might of the Roman army.
ovens for cooking and heating, lavish baths, A touching presentation shown at the site
Today, throngs of tourists visit the Old City, combines some of these many indings
ritual baths (mikvehs) and a treasure trove of
wander the alleyways hidden behind its with riveting information about the last days
walls, and walk unwittingly over the remains cookware, pieces of furniture, coins, jewelry of Jerusalem, during the revolt against the
and other exciting indings, trapped in a time
of ancient Jerusalem, the city of Jesus Romans in 70 AD. Apart from this audiovisual
capsule 2,000 years ago. The whole area was
and the apostles, a city mentioned in the presentation, the excavated house holds
destroyed in the raging ire that consumed
Bible hundreds of times. Underground, an impressive display of ancient coins,
Jerusalem for several days after its demise.
hidden beneath its narrow streets and cookware and other household items, as well
as remnants of an ancient spear used by the
passageways, are some of the most exciting A short visit to the Herodian Quarter pays
city’s defenders. Visiting the Burnt House
and important sites known to us. The city’s testament to the famous verse from the
Talmud: “He who has not seen Jerusalem in
towering walls were built in the mid-16th is truly a moving experience, guaranteed to
century by the Turkish Sultan Suleiman the her splendour, has never seen a desirable city take you back 2,000 years to the world of
Magniicent. The builders of the walls had no in his life” (Sukkah 51b). the Bible.
19
A group praying on the
southern steps to the Hulda
Gate. Photo: Aviad Yekutieli
By Shahar Shilo
A idea about the remains of the ancient city,
scorching sun blazed above the white
stone houses of Jerusalem. The city’s
and set it up around the city as it looked in
Jewish warriors and defenders were
the 16th century. Within a few decades,
exhausted from the heat, hunger and
Jerusalem took the form we know today,
incessant ighting against Rome’s
iercest legions. The searing summer of 70
Armenian, Jewish and Muslim. Concealed
AD was the last one to shine over the beautiful neatly divided into four quarters - Christian,
beneath today’s Jewish Quarter are most of
Temple, reconstructed and remodelled by
King Herod just a hundred years earlier. On the streets and houses of ancient Jerusalem
the ninth day of Av (the eleventh month of the during its glory days. Here we can visit sites
Jewish calendar), hungry lames licked the that stood in the heart of town, the same seat
of priesthood and power as in the days of
Mount and devoured its most resplendent
Temple. The destruction of Jerusalem by the King Herod. Beneath its cobblestones, the
Roman Empire was exactly like Jesus had Jewish Quarter harbors what was the most
prophesied just a few decades earlier, while aluent and impressive section of Jerusalem
standing on Mount of Olives, looking at the during the Second Temple era.
Temple and foretelling its demise. One by
one, inhabitants and defenders led to the The following are some of the must-see sites,
one part of town that had not yet succumbed for anyone who wants to get to know the
to the Romans - the seat of the priesthood
and power, with its magniicent houses ancient city described in Holy Scripture. You
won’t want to miss any of them when visiting
rising over the western hill, right in front of
the holy city of Jerusalem.
the Temple Mount. Jerusalem held out for The Burnt House
another month, but the city inally capitulated In the Jewish Quarter, under the cobblestones
- its houses were leveled and it was burned to The Herodian Quarter of the main axis, is a hidden entrance leading
the ground. The days of the Second Temple Just south of the Hurva Synagogue, and of to a lavish dwelling from the Second Temple
were over. The Jewish people went into a period. This was the house of Kathros, a
the main axis of the Jewish Quarter, you can
long exile that lasted almost 2,000 years. notable family of priests mentioned in the
enter the ancient haunt of Jerusalem’s elite,
The last remains of this ancient city were Talmud. The dwelling was buried under a
rising over the western hill in the days of the
thick layer of ash and rubble, and the indings
buried under rubble, became a time capsule, Second Temple. A tour of this remarkable
and many many days would pass before it site provides you with a glimpse into the lives excavated tell the story of the tragedy that
would be excavated and see the light of day of the rich and famous in the heyday of the struck on the day this aluent neighborhood
again, under modern day Jerusalem. ancient city. Here are beautiful mosaic loors, fell under the might of the Roman army.
ovens for cooking and heating, lavish baths, A touching presentation shown at the site
Today, throngs of tourists visit the Old City, combines some of these many indings
ritual baths (mikvehs) and a treasure trove of
wander the alleyways hidden behind its with riveting information about the last days
walls, and walk unwittingly over the remains cookware, pieces of furniture, coins, jewelry of Jerusalem, during the revolt against the
and other exciting indings, trapped in a time
of ancient Jerusalem, the city of Jesus Romans in 70 AD. Apart from this audiovisual
capsule 2,000 years ago. The whole area was
and the apostles, a city mentioned in the presentation, the excavated house holds
destroyed in the raging ire that consumed
Bible hundreds of times. Underground, an impressive display of ancient coins,
Jerusalem for several days after its demise.
hidden beneath its narrow streets and cookware and other household items, as well
as remnants of an ancient spear used by the
passageways, are some of the most exciting A short visit to the Herodian Quarter pays
city’s defenders. Visiting the Burnt House
and important sites known to us. The city’s testament to the famous verse from the
Talmud: “He who has not seen Jerusalem in
towering walls were built in the mid-16th is truly a moving experience, guaranteed to
century by the Turkish Sultan Suleiman the her splendour, has never seen a desirable city take you back 2,000 years to the world of
Magniicent. The builders of the walls had no in his life” (Sukkah 51b). the Bible.
19
