Page 16 - Holyland Magazine - Catholic Edition 2014
P. 16
The Byzantine gold hoard
(circa 613 AD)
born in Bethlehem from the lineage of David,
would enter Jerusalem and face the ancient
problem encountered by his ancestor, yet
Jesus entered the city of Jerusalem in his own
unique way, with compassion and mercy as
he cured and healed. Like his ancestor King
David, who faced the blind and the lame in
the Old Testament story, Jesus confronted
the same issue, yet the Gospel of John in the
New Testament tells us that he heals the lame
and the blind.
In the 1890s, near the Pool of Siloam,
Christian archaeologists from the Palestine
Exploration Fund (PEF), Frederick Bliss and
Archibald Dickie, discovered the remains of
the Church of Siloam built by the Byzantine
Empress Eudocia in the mid-ifth century AD.
Because of the sanctity and importance of
the pool for Christian pilgrims, Eudocia had
a large church built over the Pool of Siloam,
enclosing it on all sides.
At the time of the Second Temple, the water
from the Pool of Siloam was used for sacred
rituals in the Temple, and this explains Jesus’
visits to the temple at the time of the holy The Herodian street paved with stone
festivals when, as the New Testament tells us,
it was customary for pilgrims to visit.
of thousands of Christian clerics and monks, On the other side of the Givati parking lot
you may continue underground, inside the
From the pool, a well-dressed stone staircase causing heavy destruction (according to
leads westwards towards the Temple Mount. contemporary Christian sources). The coins channel, towards the Temple Mount and the
Western Wall. Pilgrims leaving the channel
The route rises along a inely-constructed commemorating Heraclius are testimony
stepped street dating from the end of the to a moving story. The Persian-Sassanids here come out at the southern steps which
Second Temple period. The paving of the raided the Church of the Holy Sepulchre and are the site of Jesus’ famous entrance to the
street, which has been well preserved,
seized the True Cross, discovered according Temple Mount. At the foot of the Western
testiies to the high level of workmanship. to Christian tradition by Helena, the mother Wall, which towers above the heads of those
of Constantine the Great, in the early fourth emerging from the channel, the remains
The route rises steadily northwards, inside century AD. The Emperor Heraclius knew no of a huge arch can be seen (Robinson’s
the ancient Tyropoeon Valley, in an impressive rest until, after ifteen years of preparation Arch); these were once the foundations of
and campaigning, he inally defeated the
drainage channel roofed with stone slabs the entrance by which pilgrims entered the
whose sides are built of ashlar blocks,
Sassanids in 629 AD and restored the True Temple Mount. Underneath the arch, Second
reaching a depth of 2.5 meters in most parts Cross to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. Temple-period shop entrances are visible
of the channel. The Herodian-period drainage The impressive hoard must surely have e pilgrims could purchase animals for
wher
channel leads north to the Givati parking lot been of tremendous value to the Byzantine sacriice and change money before going up
to the Temple itself. We remember the New
which was built entirely into the Tyropoeon Empire, and probably remained hidden
Valley. Here, next to the entrance to the City of when the person who had concealed it was Testament description of Jesus’ anger at the
David National Park, magniicent Byzantine- either murdered or killed during the Persian- money-changers, when he overturned their
period remains have been uncovered, stalls in outrage because they were trading
Sassanid invasion.
including a large public building, and recent and profaning the area adjacent to the Temple
excavations beneath one of its walls yielded (Matthew, 21:12–13). The remains of the
an amazing Byzantine hoard containing 264 shops and the street are a moving place in
pure gold coins. All the coins bear the portrait which to recall this important event.
of the famous Christian Emperor Heraclius
and were minted while he reigned over the For further information: www.cityofdavid.org.il
Byzantine Empire in the early seventh century ‘Bula’ (seal) from the
AD. In 614 AD, the Persian-Sassanid invasion eighth century BC Shahar Shilo – researcher and expert tour guide to
of the country from the east led to the slaughter bearing the name Ancient Jerusalem
“Bethlehem,” the city
of King David and
16 Jesus.
(circa 613 AD)
born in Bethlehem from the lineage of David,
would enter Jerusalem and face the ancient
problem encountered by his ancestor, yet
Jesus entered the city of Jerusalem in his own
unique way, with compassion and mercy as
he cured and healed. Like his ancestor King
David, who faced the blind and the lame in
the Old Testament story, Jesus confronted
the same issue, yet the Gospel of John in the
New Testament tells us that he heals the lame
and the blind.
In the 1890s, near the Pool of Siloam,
Christian archaeologists from the Palestine
Exploration Fund (PEF), Frederick Bliss and
Archibald Dickie, discovered the remains of
the Church of Siloam built by the Byzantine
Empress Eudocia in the mid-ifth century AD.
Because of the sanctity and importance of
the pool for Christian pilgrims, Eudocia had
a large church built over the Pool of Siloam,
enclosing it on all sides.
At the time of the Second Temple, the water
from the Pool of Siloam was used for sacred
rituals in the Temple, and this explains Jesus’
visits to the temple at the time of the holy The Herodian street paved with stone
festivals when, as the New Testament tells us,
it was customary for pilgrims to visit.
of thousands of Christian clerics and monks, On the other side of the Givati parking lot
you may continue underground, inside the
From the pool, a well-dressed stone staircase causing heavy destruction (according to
leads westwards towards the Temple Mount. contemporary Christian sources). The coins channel, towards the Temple Mount and the
Western Wall. Pilgrims leaving the channel
The route rises along a inely-constructed commemorating Heraclius are testimony
stepped street dating from the end of the to a moving story. The Persian-Sassanids here come out at the southern steps which
Second Temple period. The paving of the raided the Church of the Holy Sepulchre and are the site of Jesus’ famous entrance to the
street, which has been well preserved,
seized the True Cross, discovered according Temple Mount. At the foot of the Western
testiies to the high level of workmanship. to Christian tradition by Helena, the mother Wall, which towers above the heads of those
of Constantine the Great, in the early fourth emerging from the channel, the remains
The route rises steadily northwards, inside century AD. The Emperor Heraclius knew no of a huge arch can be seen (Robinson’s
the ancient Tyropoeon Valley, in an impressive rest until, after ifteen years of preparation Arch); these were once the foundations of
and campaigning, he inally defeated the
drainage channel roofed with stone slabs the entrance by which pilgrims entered the
whose sides are built of ashlar blocks,
Sassanids in 629 AD and restored the True Temple Mount. Underneath the arch, Second
reaching a depth of 2.5 meters in most parts Cross to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. Temple-period shop entrances are visible
of the channel. The Herodian-period drainage The impressive hoard must surely have e pilgrims could purchase animals for
wher
channel leads north to the Givati parking lot been of tremendous value to the Byzantine sacriice and change money before going up
to the Temple itself. We remember the New
which was built entirely into the Tyropoeon Empire, and probably remained hidden
Valley. Here, next to the entrance to the City of when the person who had concealed it was Testament description of Jesus’ anger at the
David National Park, magniicent Byzantine- either murdered or killed during the Persian- money-changers, when he overturned their
period remains have been uncovered, stalls in outrage because they were trading
Sassanid invasion.
including a large public building, and recent and profaning the area adjacent to the Temple
excavations beneath one of its walls yielded (Matthew, 21:12–13). The remains of the
an amazing Byzantine hoard containing 264 shops and the street are a moving place in
pure gold coins. All the coins bear the portrait which to recall this important event.
of the famous Christian Emperor Heraclius
and were minted while he reigned over the For further information: www.cityofdavid.org.il
Byzantine Empire in the early seventh century ‘Bula’ (seal) from the
AD. In 614 AD, the Persian-Sassanid invasion eighth century BC Shahar Shilo – researcher and expert tour guide to
of the country from the east led to the slaughter bearing the name Ancient Jerusalem
“Bethlehem,” the city
of King David and
16 Jesus.
