16. The Sanhedrin Tombs (1st century AD).

 Photos: 20 March 2009

Located in the ultra-orthodox Jewish neighborhood of Sanhedriya, these burial niches are often ascribed to the members of the Great Sanhedrin (the 71-membered supreme court of Jerusalem at the time of Jesus)! The graves are also known as “the Tombs of the Judges" and “Tombs of the Righteous”. Although the Sanhedrin tradition is from 15th century AD only, these burial caves are from the Second Temple Period (1st century AD). Today, there are around 80 rock-cut tombs in the complex and most of them lie in a derelict state, or at least that was the case when I visited the site.

Location:
Look for the entrance to 'Sanhedriya Park' on 'Ha Admorim Leiner Street' (near the intersection of Giva'at Moshe and Sderot Golda Me'ir Streets). The Sanhedriya Tombs are scattered inside this small park.