Jerusalem at the Time of Jesus
The
following is a photo display of Jerusalem as it appeared at the time of
Jesus. Many of the photos are taken of the large Model of Ancient
Jerusalem located on the grounds of the Holyland Hotels in Jerusalem,
Israel.
Above Picture with key to numbers PDF
Above picture without numbers PDF
1. The Temple
Temple Mount including Antonia Fortress from North East
Close-up Temple from North East View
2. Southern Wall and Royal Stoa
South-west View of Temple Mount
7. The location of the Western Wall (Wailing Wall)
11. Mt of Olives (three tops of Mt of Olives); Close up of Mid Section; and Southern End;
Gethsemane (Church of All Nations) groupding of trees in lower west side of middle section (no. 11) of Mt of Olives
13. The Kidron Valley (as it appeared in 1975)
Kidron Valley (2014, from within, near Gethsemane, looking south)
15. City of David (Mt. Ophel)
Illustration of Jerusalem from southern perspective (www.LumoProject.com)
23. Upper City (Wealthy section)
24. David's Tomb
David's Tomb in Relation to Temple Mount
26. Wealthy Section and possible location of Upper Room
28. The Market Place
29. Herod's Palace
36.
Antonia Fortress (NT - Castle)--East View
Antonia Fortress--West View, Golgotha
Guided
tour of ancient Jerusalem.
3. Mt. Ophel
4. Aerial view of Temple Mount
5. Painting of Herodian Temple Mount
The
temple mount looking for southwest to northeast. This view shows
various entryways into the temple. The southern entrance was the
most frequently used by commoners. The Temple was surround by a
series
of courts. Immediately surrounding the Temple was the court of
the
priests (smoke can be seen rising from the altar of sacrifice in the
court
of the priests). The court of the women was a large square court
to the east and front of the Temple. The large court surrounding
the Temple and its immediate courts was known as the court of the
gentiles.
A balustrade separated the court of the gentiles from the Temple and
its
surrounding courts. Non-Jews could not pass the balustrade.
It was in the court of the gentiles that money changers and animals
were
sold. Thus, this was the place of the Savior's cleansing of the
temple
(Matt. 21:12-13; Mark 11:15-19; Luke 19:41-48; John 2:13-17). (Peter
Connolly, Living in the Time of Jesus of Nazareth.)
6. A cutaway look at the Temple Mount
The
dark blue walls represent the retaining walls built by Herod. The
lighter blue walls located within the Herodian walls represent
retaining
walls from earlier time periods. The center square light blue
walls
represent the retaining walls built by Solomon. The southern
extension
(over taking the Akra) was built by the Hasmoneans about 186 B.
C.
(Leen and Kathleen Ritmeyer, Secrets of
Jerusalem's
Temple Mount).
7. The southern wall of the Temple Mount
Southern
retaining wall of the Herodian Temple mount. The stairs led up to
the court of the gentiles. The red-roofed basilica is called the
Royal Stoa. (Model, Holy Land Hotel,
Jerusalem)
8. Southwest corner of the Temple Mount retaining wall
Actual
stones of the pinnacle of the Temple.
9. Painting - southwest corner of Temple Mount
Painting
of the south-west corner of the temple mount as it would have appeared
during the time of Christ. (Peter
Connolly,
Living in the Time of Jesus of Nazareth)
Inscribed
stone the fell from top corner of the temple mount during the Roman
destruction
of Jerusalem (70 AD). The Hebrew reads, "To the place (lit.
house)
of the trumpeting for . . . " (last part missing). It appears
that
this was the place designated for a priest to blow the horn announcing
the beginning and end of the Sabbath. (Hershel
Shanks, Jerusalem: An Archaeological Biography, p. 157)
11. Southern stairs
Stairs
leading up to the gates through which temple participants passed to
ascend
the stairs to the temple mount (court of the gentiles). The
Psalmist
asked, "Who shall ascend into the hill of the LORD? or who shall stand
in his holy place?" He answered, "He that hath clean hands, and a
pure heart" (Psalms 24:3-4). (Model, Holy
Land
Hotel, Jerusalem)
12. Archaeological findings of southern stairs
Archaeological
excavations of the southern wall of the temple mount.
13. Stairways in court of the gentiles
The
stairs from the southern wall exit through the two gates into the court
of the gentiles. The court of the gentiles is surrounded by a
pillared
courts. The red-roofed structure is called the Royal Stoa.
The Sanhedrin (Jewish ruling court) met in this location. (Model,
Holy Land Hotel, Jerusalem)
14. Cross section of the Royal Stoa
The
Royal Stoa was a basilica with an apse at its eastern end. The
Sanhedrin
met at the apse in the eastern end. The
pillars
stood over 30 feet in height. (Hershel
Shanks,
Jerusalem: An Archaeological Biography, p. 157)
15. Sanhedrin
A
meeting of the Sanhedrin in the Royal Stoa.
(Miriam Feinberg Vamosh, Daily Life at the time of Jesus,
p. 28)
16. Courtyards around the Temple
Temple
and surrounding walls enclosing the court of the women
(treasury).
Around the stairs leading up into the court of the women is a
balustrade.
Non-Jews were not allowed to pass beyond the balustrade. (Model,
Holy Land Hotel, Jerusalem)
17. The Temple and the inner courts
The
forecourt is the court of the women (treasury). It was here that
the woman taken in adultery was brought before the Savior (John
8).
The court directly surrounding the Temple is the court of the
priests.
(Model, Holy Land Hotel, Jerusalem)
A
close up of the Temple. The half-moon stair led up to the Nicanor
Gate. Immediately behind the Nicanor Gate is the narrow court of
the men (between the pillars). Behind the court of the men and
immediately
surrounding the Temple is the court of the priests. Part of the
altar
of sacrifice can be seen. (Model, Holy Land
Hotel,
Jerusalem)
19. Antonia Fortress Antonia Fortress
The
Antonia Fortress (often called "castle" in the New Testament) was
located
on the northwest corner of the Temple Mount. There were stairs
leading
from the fortress into the court of the gentiles. Paul was taken
captive by the Roman guard and led into the fortress up the
stairs.
Receiving permision from the Roman guard, he spoke to the Jews who were
in the court of the gentiles from the stairs. (See Acts
21-21)
(Model, Israeli Museum)
20. Pools of Bethesda and Antonia Fortress
Pools
of Bethesda in the foreground. It was here that the Savior healed
an invalid on the Sabbath, leading to a negative encounter with the
Jewish
leaders (John 5). The Antonia Fortress (castle) is the
background.
The Antonia fortress was the Roman garrison and a possible place where
Christ was taken for trial before Pilate. (Model,
Holy Land Hotel, Jerusalem)
21. Upper city
The
upper city of Jerusalem where the wealthy elite lived. (Model,
Holy Land Hotel, Jerusalem)
Herod's
palace in the foreground. Directly east is the market
place.
Theater can be seen in the upper part of the picture. David's
Tomb
(the pyramid topped building). The Hippodrome (chariot racing)
can
be seen in the upper left (Actually the Hippodrome was located outside
the walls of the city). (Model, Holy Land Hotel,
Jerusalem)
23. Aerial view of Upper City and New City
An
aerial view of the Upper City (left) and the New City (right).
Temple
can be seen in the upper part of picture. (Model,
Holy Land Hotel, Jerusalem)
24. Herod's Palace.
Herod's
Palace was located in the Upper City. The wise men would have
visited
Herod in this place (Matt. 2). This may also be the place that
Pilate
sent the Savior to in order to be interrogated by Herod Antipas (the
son
of Herod the Great) during the last week of the Savior's life (Luke
23:6-12).
This picture also shows the market place just out the gate from Herod's
palace. Also the theater on the left of the picture and David's
tomb
- the pyramid topped structure on the right of the picture. (Model,
Holy Land Hotel, Jerusalem)
25. Herod's Palace - Aerial View
An
aerial view of Herod's palace with the market place in the upper part
of
the picture. (Model, Holy Land Hotel, Jerusalem)
26. Herod's palace to Antonia Fortress
Herod's
palace in the foreground. The Antonia Fortress (four towered
structure)
in the upper left hand corner. These are the two possible sites
of
the Savior's trial before Pilate and Herod Antipas. (Model,
Holy Land Hotel, Jerusalem)
27. The Theater
The
Theater was located in the Upper City. (Model,
Holy
Land Hotel, Jerusalem)
28. David's Tomb
A
view of the Upper City (wealthy section). David's Tomb - the
pyramid
topped structure is in the foreground. This figures in a
discourse
given by Peter (see Acts 2:29). It was probably in this area that
the "upper room" where the Savior held the last supper was
located.
The Temple Mount and the Antonia Fortress are on the horizon. (Model,
Holy Land Hotel, Jerusalem)
29. Painting of Temple from the traditional location of the Upper Room
["From
the Rooftop of the Last Supper" by Al Rounds (Ensign, Jan. 1995)]
30. Lower city
The
poor section of Jerusalem. Again, the section of city in the foreground
was not built until after the time of Christ. The northern wall
of
the city at the time of Christ can be seen in the upper left. The
two traditional sites of Golgotha can be seen in this photo. The
first can be seen in the middle right just outside a small gate in the
wall. The other is more difficult to spot. Out the Damascus
Gate and up the road to the right can be seen a clearing. In that
clearing is a hill that some claim to be Golgotha. (Model,
Holy Land Hotel, Jerusalem)
This
is a view of Jerusalem looking southeast. This shows a section of
Jerusalem built after the time of Christ but before the Roman
destruction
in 70 AD. The northern wall of the city as it was at the time of
Christ can be seen in the upper left. A gate can be seen in that
wall with the Atonia Fortress behind and to the left. This gate
is
the Damascus Gate. (Model, Holy Land Hotel,
Jerusalem)
32. The New City
The
section of city in the foreground was not built until after the time of
Christ. The wall in the upper part of the picture likewise did
not
exist at the time of Christ. The wall immediately surrounding the
northern
part of Antonia Fortress enclosed the New City, a section of the city
that
existed at the time of Christ. The two traditional sites of
Golgotha
can be seen in this photo. The first can be seen in the middle
right
just outside a small gate in the wall. The other is more
difficult
to spot. Out the Damascus Gate and up the road to the right can
be
seen a clearing. In that clearing is a hill that some claim to be
Golgotha. (Model, Holy Land Hotel, Jerusalem)
One
of the traditional Golgotha's (the Church of the Holy Sepulcher stands
over this site today) is seen in the lower left hand corner.
34. Tyropoean Valley
The
Tyropoean valley. The Pool of Siloam is in the foreground.
The temple mount can be seen on the horizon. The City of David
(Ophel)
is the walled city on the right. The poor section is to the
left.
The Pool of Siloam played a major role in the Feast of Tabernacles and
was the place where the miracle of the man born blind washed his eyes
and
came out seeing (John 9). (Model, Holy Land
Hotel,
Jerusalem)