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Ancient Monuments

Palace of Caiaphas

The high priest at the time of Jesus' ministry in Jerusalem, Caiaphas, did not live there but in another section of the Upper City. Jesus' informal trial before the Sanhedrin probably took place in one of the large halls of his palace. Peter denied Jesus in one of these courts. The Ossuary of Caiaphas was discovered in Jerusalem by archaeologists. ...

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The Colosseum

The Colosseum was the largest and most famous of all Roman amphitheaters. It was originally constructed by the Emperor Vespasian just after 70 AD., and was dedicated by his son Titus in 80 AD. It was known in ancient Rome as the Flavian Amphitheatre, and was completed by Titus' younger son Domitian. The Colosseum was built in the valley between the...

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Damascus Gate

The Damascus gate and Herod's gate were in the north wall of Jerusalem. The Damascus Gate was the chief entrance into the city....

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Hasmonean Palace

The Hasmonean Palace was the palace of the famous Hasmonean dynasty. It was located on the Western side of the Upper City. It contained a roof called the Xystus with where the people in the large square below could be addressed. It had large courts, living quarters, baths, and a service court....

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Capernaum Synagogue

Numerous synagogues were set up in Jerusalem, including one for freedmen, or ex-slaves. There were no less than 480 synagogues in Jerusalem during Jesus' time. The well preserved synagogue at Capernaum dates from the first or second century AD and could be the site of the building where Jesus spoke. About the only synagogue visible today which for ...

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Pharos Lighthouse of Alexandria

In the ancient world there once stood the 500 foot Pharos Lighthouse on an island in Egypt. Built in 290 B.C. one could easily notice it when approaching the famous Alexandria Harbor. It was one of the wonders of the ancient world....

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Herod the Great's Fortified Palace

King Herod the Great built his magnificent fortified palace to provide protection for Jerusalem's Upper City. It also guarded the west side of the city along with Herod's three towers. Just like Herod's Temple, his Palace was constructed on a platform, about 1000 feet (from north-south), and 180 feet (from east-west). The Palace consisted of 2 main...

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Pool of Siloam

The Pool of Siloam was the only permanent water source for the city of Jerusalem in the first century AD. It was fed by the waters of the Gihon Spring diverted through Hezekiah's Tunnel, built in the 8th century BC. Jesus told the blind man to go wash at the Pool of Siloam, and after doing it he received his sight. This was significant since the He...

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Herod's Theater

Herod the Great built a marvelous theater in Jerusalem's Upper City. It was a large auditorium with no roof and semicircular rows of seats ascending from the center stage. Wealthy Jews came there to watch the best of Greek and Roman drama. Most traditional Jews, however, scorned this and other outgrowths of Greco-Roman culture as immoral....

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Hippicus Tower

The Hippicus Tower was named after Herod the Great's general and friend. It stood 132 feet high. It was one of the three towers built to protect Jerusalem on the northwest side. It was located near Herod's Palace to the north and in the middle of Jerusalem's northern wall, to the west of the western wall of the Temple Mount. It is undoubtedly locat...

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