HOLY LAND BOOK - Draft

The HiddenWall
For centuries the small stretch of the
Western Wall of the Temple Mount used
for Jewish prayers was the only part of the
Herodian Temple Mount complex
non-Muslims could actually approach and
touch. The once-important southern wall
of the Temple Mount was largely hidden
by accumulated earth and debris, and by
later buildings that rose and fell with each
successive wave of history.
Now excavations have made the southern
wall and extreme southern part of
the Western Wall accessible all the way
down to the Herodian street level. At
a quiet time of day, when no tour groups
are trudging through, you can sit in
the shade of an ancient shop doorway and
contemplate the charisma and
enormity of the Herodian ashlars. Wild
capers grow out of the monumental walls.
If you look up near the extreme southern
end of the Western Wall where the
level of earth would have been centuries
ago, you can see a large ashlar on
which, probably in the Byzantine era (before
Islamic times), archaeologists
believe a Jewish pilgrim to the ruined
Temple Mount carved the Hebrew words
from Isaiah 66:14: ”And when you see this,
your heart shall rejoice, and your
bones shall flourish like an herb.” For 1,500
years, this visitor‘s message lay hidden in
the earth.
Islamic palace uncovered by archaeologists
at the foot of the Temple Mount, the
Davidson Center contains a small museum
with artifacts found at the site, as well as
videos and computer information on the
Temple Mount history.
The video and digital recreatlon of the
Herodian Temple Mount are interesting,
but there are a number of anachronistic
and questionable details. See if you can
spot them!
There are 1-hour tours available of the
Davidson Center (which is already relatively
self-explanatory) and also of the
Archeological Park (worthwhile for those
who want to understand all the details
of the site). Each tour is $32 per person.
But a map and recorded audio tour of the
site, available at the Davidson Center, is
sufficient for most visitors.
Entrance from near inside of Dung Gate. @
02/627-7550. www.archpark.org.il. NIS 30 ($6.60)
adults; NIS 16 ($3.40) students, children, and
seniors. Sun—Thurs 8am—5pm; Fri 8am—2pm.
Closed Sat.