Thursday, April 24, 2014

39) Remains of ancient streets inside the old city of Jerusalem from 1) Second Jerusalem Temple period (100 BC-100 AD) and 2) Late Roman period (3rd-4th century AD).

Second Temple Period (100 BC-100 AD)-located near Damascus Gate, Muslim Quarter.

Roman Period (3rd-4th Century AD)-located in Christian Quarter


Wednesday, April 23, 2014

38) Remains of Herodian era Shops, Stones and Street from the Second Jerusalem Temple (1st Century BC).

Overall view of the area

Shops: this building with 4 shops served as the base for a large staircase (Robinson's Arch) that lead people into the Temple in first century.

Street: this paved Herodian street parallel to the 'Western Wall' was much active at the time of Jesus. Notice the crushed portions on the street is a result of the impact of the massive stones pushed over by the Roman soldiers from the Temple in 70 AD.

Stones: these massive stones were thrown by the Roman soldiers into the paved Herodian street from the Temple after Jerusalem was captured and destroyed in 70 AD.  

37) Remains of the monumental Herodian (1st century BC) staircases to the Temple Mount from south through Huldah Gates. It is certain that Jesus and His disciples used these steps to enter the temple precinct.

Today, most of the fine steps you see are reconstructed.

Friday, April 4, 2014

32) Western side (interior) of the sealed 'Eastern Gate' or 'Golden Gate' of Jerusalem. A 6th-7th century AD structure built on the top of a previously existing gate (1st century BC?), the Golden Gate is the oldest of all Jerusalem gates existing today. The western side of Golden Gate is only visible from the Temple Mount.



Eastern Side of the Golden Gate below is perhaps the most photographed side of a Jerusalem gate today.

31) Remnants of the Single, Double and Triple Gates of the southern wall of Temple Mount. The Double and Triple Gates are Herodian (1st century BC) and they provided access to the Jerusalem Temple from the southern side. Single Gate is a Crusader structure (12th century AD), an access point to the caverns below the Temple Mount called 'Solomon's Stables'.

Double Gate


Triple Gate

Single Gate


30) Remnants of the four Herodian entrances to the Second Jerusalem Temple from the west side. Named after the explorers who worked in Jerusalem in the late 1800s.

It is believed that two of these gates (Wilson's and Robinson's) connected to the surface of the Temple through a tunnel and the remaining two (Warren's and Barclay's) used underground staircases.

Warren's Gate

Wilson's Arch

Barclay's Gate

The yellow arrow marks the original massive lintel (weighs approximately 50 tons) of the Barclay's Gate from first century BC. Above the building right to this lintel is the passage to Mugrabi Gate, the only entrance for non-Muslim's into Temple Mount today. The remaining 10 gates to Temple Mount are accessible only to Muslims.

Robinson's Arch