Page 8 - Holyland Magazine - 2015 edition
P. 8
View from the rooftop of the private house;
architect, Ami Shinar with his guests
We went up one level, where she suddenly
stopped by a giant pillar made out of layers
of dirt. One of those layers was all black and
sooty. “See?” said Miriam, “This is the layer of
ash from the day Jerusalem was destroyed
by the Romans in 70 CE.”
I stood there, awestruck and speechless, and
Miriam turned to go back up to her house.
She asked me to join her, saying, “The best
is yet to come.”
We went up the stairs, through the house
she shares with Theo. We crossed a library
illed with thousands of books and went up
to the roof.
Some cofee and a plate of cookies await,
and I sit down to look at the Mount of Olives,
Temple Mount, the Jewish Quarter and
entrance to the City of David.
The cool afternoon air in Jerusalem mixes
with the smell of cooking that ills my lungs,
and I sip some cofee and look around me in
amazement.
“Now you see?” said Miriam. “This house
represents the entire history of the Jewish
people, from Biblical times, through the
hypothesized there was a whole world lying I am overwhelmbed with excitement, and
destruction of the Second Temple, the
hidden at our feet, buried by the sands of time continue my tour in this underground world, a diaspora and Holocaust, the return to Zion
and history.” gateway to ancient worlds and key moments and the founding of the State of Israel.”
in the history of the Jewish people. Before
We go down to the basement in Miriam’s me are Mikvehs (ritual baths) from the days I smile and think back to my ancestors, who
house, at 5 Beit-Ha’shoeva Street, in the stood right here, where I now sit, who saw
of Jesus, and next to them the remains of a
Jewish Quarter in Jerusalem. A door opens, well-chiseled canal. before them the mighty armies of Assyria, of
and we enter a huge room overlooking Babylon, of Rome and wondered what would
excavations from diferent periods - Solomon's “What is this canal?” I asked Miriam, and
become of the Jewish people. Right here, on
Temple, Second Temple, Byzantine and even she explained, “Here stood the Hasmonean this very spot, I hear the echoing voice of the
Crusaders. palace, and this canal is none other than part prophet Isaiah:
of the lower aqueduct that carried water to “For Zion's sake will I not hold my peace,
Out of the corner of my eye, I spot a structure the Temple.” and for Jerusalem's sake I will not rest,
carved out of rock, and move to look at it up until the righteousness thereof go forth as
close. brightness, and the salvation thereof as a
“What is this?” I ask. As a student at the Hebrew University in
lamp that burneth. And the Gentiles shall see
Jerusalem, I learned a lot about the city and
“Granaries from the Solomon’s Temple thy righteousness, and all kings thy glory: and
period,” says Miriam. its ancient water systems. One of the main thou shalt be called by a new name, which
problems of Jerusalem was that of purifying the mouth of the LORD shall name. Thou
and cleaning the Temple, since the only
“From the First Temple period?” We are shalt also be a crown of glory in the hand of
water source was the Gihon Spring, far from
on the Western Hill, and up until the days the LORD, and a royal diadem in the hand
Temple Mount. So the Hasmoneans built an
of King Hezekiah, this was nothing but of thy God. Thou shalt no more be termed
elaborate water system that carried water
tombs carved in rock. Yet lo and behold, Forsaken; neither shall thy land any more be
from afar and solved the city’s water problem.
this structure that was indeed a tomb in termed Desolate: but thou shalt be called
the days of King Hezekiah became part of And here I am, standing over the remains of Hephzibah, and thy land Beulah: for the
the town’s fortiications during the Assyrian the Hasmonean palace, almost touching an LORD delighteth in thee, and thy land shall be
siege of Jerusalem. I quickly turn to the book acquaduct built by our forefathers. married” (Isaiah 62).
of Chronicles, and it takes my breath away.
Here are King Hezekiah’s preparations for the “This place was left in ruins, along with the
siege, no longer just a matter of speculation Temple,” I told Miriam, who smiled and asked For more information: www.siebenberghouse.com
Omer Eshel is Israel Tourism Consul, Midwest
or theory, but actual archeological proof! me to follow her. Region USA
8
architect, Ami Shinar with his guests
We went up one level, where she suddenly
stopped by a giant pillar made out of layers
of dirt. One of those layers was all black and
sooty. “See?” said Miriam, “This is the layer of
ash from the day Jerusalem was destroyed
by the Romans in 70 CE.”
I stood there, awestruck and speechless, and
Miriam turned to go back up to her house.
She asked me to join her, saying, “The best
is yet to come.”
We went up the stairs, through the house
she shares with Theo. We crossed a library
illed with thousands of books and went up
to the roof.
Some cofee and a plate of cookies await,
and I sit down to look at the Mount of Olives,
Temple Mount, the Jewish Quarter and
entrance to the City of David.
The cool afternoon air in Jerusalem mixes
with the smell of cooking that ills my lungs,
and I sip some cofee and look around me in
amazement.
“Now you see?” said Miriam. “This house
represents the entire history of the Jewish
people, from Biblical times, through the
hypothesized there was a whole world lying I am overwhelmbed with excitement, and
destruction of the Second Temple, the
hidden at our feet, buried by the sands of time continue my tour in this underground world, a diaspora and Holocaust, the return to Zion
and history.” gateway to ancient worlds and key moments and the founding of the State of Israel.”
in the history of the Jewish people. Before
We go down to the basement in Miriam’s me are Mikvehs (ritual baths) from the days I smile and think back to my ancestors, who
house, at 5 Beit-Ha’shoeva Street, in the stood right here, where I now sit, who saw
of Jesus, and next to them the remains of a
Jewish Quarter in Jerusalem. A door opens, well-chiseled canal. before them the mighty armies of Assyria, of
and we enter a huge room overlooking Babylon, of Rome and wondered what would
excavations from diferent periods - Solomon's “What is this canal?” I asked Miriam, and
become of the Jewish people. Right here, on
Temple, Second Temple, Byzantine and even she explained, “Here stood the Hasmonean this very spot, I hear the echoing voice of the
Crusaders. palace, and this canal is none other than part prophet Isaiah:
of the lower aqueduct that carried water to “For Zion's sake will I not hold my peace,
Out of the corner of my eye, I spot a structure the Temple.” and for Jerusalem's sake I will not rest,
carved out of rock, and move to look at it up until the righteousness thereof go forth as
close. brightness, and the salvation thereof as a
“What is this?” I ask. As a student at the Hebrew University in
lamp that burneth. And the Gentiles shall see
Jerusalem, I learned a lot about the city and
“Granaries from the Solomon’s Temple thy righteousness, and all kings thy glory: and
period,” says Miriam. its ancient water systems. One of the main thou shalt be called by a new name, which
problems of Jerusalem was that of purifying the mouth of the LORD shall name. Thou
and cleaning the Temple, since the only
“From the First Temple period?” We are shalt also be a crown of glory in the hand of
water source was the Gihon Spring, far from
on the Western Hill, and up until the days the LORD, and a royal diadem in the hand
Temple Mount. So the Hasmoneans built an
of King Hezekiah, this was nothing but of thy God. Thou shalt no more be termed
elaborate water system that carried water
tombs carved in rock. Yet lo and behold, Forsaken; neither shall thy land any more be
from afar and solved the city’s water problem.
this structure that was indeed a tomb in termed Desolate: but thou shalt be called
the days of King Hezekiah became part of And here I am, standing over the remains of Hephzibah, and thy land Beulah: for the
the town’s fortiications during the Assyrian the Hasmonean palace, almost touching an LORD delighteth in thee, and thy land shall be
siege of Jerusalem. I quickly turn to the book acquaduct built by our forefathers. married” (Isaiah 62).
of Chronicles, and it takes my breath away.
Here are King Hezekiah’s preparations for the “This place was left in ruins, along with the
siege, no longer just a matter of speculation Temple,” I told Miriam, who smiled and asked For more information: www.siebenberghouse.com
Omer Eshel is Israel Tourism Consul, Midwest
or theory, but actual archeological proof! me to follow her. Region USA
8
