Jerusalem 3rd wall & Saint-Étienne Bailica,

Hi,

We went again for an hike with Amitim Latiyulim (look here, here, here, here and here). It was along the third wall of Israelite Jerusalem, that fell around this time in Tisha B’aAv. We had a small detour to a burial cave in  Saint-Étienne Bailica. Yo can  see pictures from the first excavation of the third wall in this link (it was the first made by the Hebrew University).

We learn about the wall from the book The Jewish War of  Flavius Josephus that described the fall of the wall in his book about the  Great Revolt.

Herod Agrippa started building the wall in the year 41 to protect the new neighborhoods that were built north of the city. The building was stopped in 44 when Agrippa died, some claims that his dead stopped the building. Others claim the Roman stopped it for the feat it will be used for revolt. The wall was completed only in the eve of the Great Revolt in 66, to protect the city from North.

Only in the 1970’s it was agreed it was the 3rd wall of Jerusalem, when a watchtower looking north was found. Till then the wall was claimed to be the Roman siege wall, a Roman legion or the walls of Aelia Capitolina.

Those days Almost all of the wall is covered with soil, so most of the tour was to walk along the streets and to hear about the assumptions and what was found on that 3rd wall.

3rd wall – part I
Safra square

Jerusalem MuinicipalityJerusalem municipality, Safra Square the tour begin

Gathering point in Safra squareGathering point in Safra square

Around 450 people in the tourAround 450 people in the tour

Russian compound

Holy Trinity Cathedral, JerusalemHoly Trinity Cathedral

Elisabeth Courtyard hospice for menElisabeth Courtyard hospice for men

Sergei BuildingSergei Building

Northern GateNorthern Gate

Elisabeth Courtyard hospice for menElisabeth Courtyard hospice for men other side

Gathering point Gathering point in front of the Northern gate of the Russian compound. In the 19th century, when the compound was built, the wall could be seen on the surface. It might be that many of it stones used to build the compound.

Holy Trinity CathedralHoly Trinity Cathedral from the other side

Bezalel Academy of Arts and Design Construction siteBezalel Academy of Arts and Design Construction site. On this site 82 Ballista stones were found.

 The ballista stones found on site (credit: JDN). Some claim this the location of the wall, that the stone were shoot at. Others claim it is were the Ballista shooting position.

“3rd wall street”

Dom Polski – Polish Monestary on the “3rd wall street” were excavations were made in 1925 to uncover the wall.

Mea ShearimThe edge of Mea Shearim, So crowded with construction additions that keeps amaze me – who has the balls to built that way?

Naomi Keis street

Highway 60 in JerusalemCrossing Highway 60 in Jerusalem to East Jerusalem

Al Barka bank buildingAl Barka Bank (Pakstinian bank) building in East Jerusalem

The group from across the streetThe group from across the street

largest open section of the 3rd wall

Largest stone in the largest open section of the 3rd wallLargest stone in the largest open section of the 3rd wall

Saint-Étienne Basilica and the burial caves

Nablus road and Saint-Étienne Basilica entrance

A small detour to Saint-Etienne basilica and the burial caves from the time of the Second temple. The caves are closed to public and were open specially for the tour.  We went down from the roads built upon the line of the wall to Nablus road

The old East Jerusalem USA Consulate building (1952-2010), which was replaced by the USA embassy in 2018. That is where I issued my Visa to the USA

Paratroopers Brigade 28th Battalion memorial in Nablus road. This memorial looks like it no taken care of, but remember that it sits in East Jerusalem, among the Palestinians that were conquered in 1967. I can only assume that the flags of Israel and the Brigade were hanged more than once here, and were removed.

Another part of the uncovered 3rd wall which sits inside the Paratroopers Brigade 28th Battalion memorial

Building on Nablus roadBuilding on Nablus road

Shchem roadNablus Road

The Entrance to Saint-Etienne basilicaThe Entrance to Saint-Etienne basilica

The Entrance to Saint-Etienne basilicaOn one side it is written: Saint-Etienne basilica, on the other École Biblique (French academic establishment for archaeology and Biblical exegesis)

Saint-Étienne Basilica itself

Original gate to Saint-Etienne basilicaOriginal gate to Saint-Etienne basilica

Around Saint-Etienne basilica

 

Inside Other side of Saint-Etienne basilica courtyard. The basiliaca was built over a Byzantine basilica

Inside of Saint-Etienne basilica courtyardThe roof of the Aisle around the courtyard surprised me, I have seen that type of roof: the ribs are steel profiles (usually in Israel they used rail profiles) and between them there is concrete arch. But the structure is much more simple and yet sophisticated: between the profiles there are masonry arches!

Saint-Étienne Basilica gardens

Gathering in Saint-Etienne basilica gardensGathering in Saint-Etienne basilica gardens

Memory pier in Saint-Etienne basilica gardensMemory pier in Saint-Etienne basilica gardens

Saint-Etienne basilica gardens

A cistern in Saint-Etienne basilica garden

Machinery in Saint-Etienne basilica garden

Beehive Saint-Etienne basilica garden

Beehive  Saint-Etienne basilica garden

 

aboundedtennis courtabounded Tennis court

Burial caves in Saint-Étienne Basilica

The floor above the Burial caves in Saint-Étienne BasilicaThe floor above the modern burial caves in Saint-Étienne Basilica

The floor above the modern burial caves. The caves were used for Jewish burial at the time of the first Temple. First the corps were left lying on benches to decomposed from flesh and other soft tissues, leaving only the bones. The bones were then moved to the bone collecting place making place for the next corp.

The stairs to Burial caves in Saint-Étienne BasilicaThe stairs to modern hall and the burial caves

The entrance to Burial caves in Saint-Étienne BasilicaThe entrance to modern hall of the burial caves

The modern hall of the Burial caves in Saint-Étienne BasilicaThe modern hall of the burial caves

The modern hall of the Burial caves in Saint-Étienne BasilicaThe modern hall of the Burial caves

Monks’ graves in the modern hall

The modern hall and the alter on left

The altar in the modern hall in Burial caves in Saint-Étienne BasilicaThe altar in the modern hall

The altar in the modern hall in Burial caves in Saint-Étienne BasilicaAnd behind the altar…

The entrance to the old caves behind the altar in the modern hall in Burial caves in Saint-Étienne BasilicaThe main entrance to burial caves!

Burial caves in Saint-Étienne BasilicaThe main hall of the Burial caves – around 100 sq. meter

the new wall in the Burial caves in Saint-Étienne Basilica The new wall in main hall, was opened by the monks in 1890

The roof of the main hall Burial caves in Saint-Étienne Basilica The roof of cave, 3.5 m high. The cave  is from the first Temple era. All the earthenware found here was thrown away, because only on 1895 the use of earthenware for studies started.

The burial rooms with benches for corps. There are 6 rooms around the main hall, each with 3 benches. 4 of them are identical,ץ One is special with steps to another wall. The rooms were closed with two metal doors. Another had no benches and was used the prepare the corps for burial.

The room with steps to the inner room with the Sarcophagus The room with steps to the inner room with the Sarcophagus

The benches for Sarcophagusin the rooms Burial caves in Saint-Étienne BasilicaThe benches for Sarcophagus in the inner room. The one in the middle was 10 cm above the two on the sides. The fact that the bones were kept and were not thrown with the rest of the bones, might tell us that those are the bones of the heads of the family. The upper one is the father, on the two lower ones are on the sides are the mothers.

Collecting bone place. The bones were checked and found to be of strong man with knee problems – monks. The original bones are probably dust.

The Sarcophagus from the inner room Burial caves in Saint-Étienne BasilicaThe Sarcophagus from the inner room. 16 more burial cave were found here and most of them cannot be invistigated (like the one next the white nuns bathroom…)

Saint-Étienne Basilica in the Jerusalem and the burial caves – 18.07.2018

3rd Wall – part II

Along Amer Ben Elas st.

Back to Naomi Keis st. that after Nablus road changes its name to  Amer ben Elas st.

Another piece of the wall in Amer ben Elas st.

Albright Institute of Archaeological Research

Albright Institute of Archaeological ResearchAlbright Institute of Archaeological Research in the edge of Amer ben Elas st. and on Salah al-Din Road.

 Albright Institute of Archaeological ResearchThe entrance to the institute named after one the archigologists managing the place in its first years.

 Albright Institute of Archaeological ResearchThe main building of the institute that was originally called The American school of oriental research.

Albright Institute of Archaeological ResearchThe main door

Albright Institute of Archaeological ResearchThe entrance to the institute from the parking lot

Albright Institute of Archaeological ResearchThe backyard of the institute

Albright Institute of Archaeological ResearchThe institute backyard

Albright Institute of Archaeological ResearchA sarcophagus  on one of the windows

  Albright Institute of Archaeological ResearchA nice fountain in the institute backyard

Albright Institute of Archaeological ResearchA hosting room for the students of the institute

   Albright Institute of Archaeological ResearchAn old water pump in the institute  yard.

 

Albright Institute of Archaeological ResearchHead of the institute holding the picture of the excavation made in the institute back yard.

Albright Institute of Archaeological ResearchIn  an excavation was made Eastern to the institute the reveled the 3rd wall and the watchtower at the North-East corner of the wall. The above pic is the only picture from back then. The watchtower is probably the tower described as the Woman tower by Flavius Josephus

Albright Institute of Archaeological Research

Those days the wall used is covered with soil and used as the institute parking lot and a storage for the containers host archeological material