Archaeology & Sites

Hezekiah's Tunnel

The most magnificent waterworks of ancient Jerusalem is Hezekiah's Tunnel. The tunnel is hewn inside the hill in order to protect the access to water from enemies. It channels the water from the Gihon fountainhead to the Shiloah pool, which was within the new walls of the city built by Hezekiah. King Hezekiah built the tunnel in preparation for th...

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Gates of the Old City - Damascus Gate

Damascus Gate The most massive and ornate of all of Jerusalem's gates. The road running off it leads to Shechem (Nablus) and then to Damascus (Photo by Duby Tal and Moni Haramati) [Archaeology] [Images of selected sites in Jerusalem from Furman Univ.]...

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The Temple Mount

For centuries, the crown jewel of the city has been the Temple Mount, which is located atop Mount Moriah across the Kidron Valley from the Mount of Olives. [Archaeology] [Images of selected sites in Jerusalem from Furman Univ.]...

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Church of All Nations at Foot of Mount of Olives

The Church of All Nations ('The Basilica of the Agony") is situated at the foot of the Mount of Olives, the site of a Jewish cemetery in use since ancient times. The church was built in the early 1920s on the remains of a 5th century Byzantine structure and a later Crusader church. Designed by the Italian architect Antonio Barluzzi, the basilica fe...

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Mount Zion - General View

Mount Zion is a prominent hill in Jerusalem that holds great historical and religious significance for several major world religions, including Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. The "Mount Zion - General View" likely refers to a panoramic or overarching view of this revered site. Here's a brief description: Mount Zion - General View: A sweeping vie...

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Gates of the Old City - Jaffa Gate

Jaffa Gate this gate is the principal entrance to the Old City. Its name in Arabic is Bab-el-Khalil, the gate of Hebron, as the main road to Hebron started here. It was also called Jaffa Gate because the road to Jaffa and the coast also started from it (Photo by Duby Tal and Moni Haramati) [Archaeology] [Images of selected sites in Jerusalem from ...

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Dome of the Rock

The third most important shrine in Islam, built in 683 C.E. by Ommayad Caliph Abd El-Malik Ibn Marwan. Built on Mount Moriah and named after the large rock inside the mosque where, according to tradition, Isaac was prepared for sacrifice, and from where Mohammed rose to heaven. The rock is also considered the foundation stone of the Temple. Below i...

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The Garden of Gethsemane

The Garden of Gethsemane is located across the Kidron valley to the east of Jerusalem and on the western slope of the Mount of Olives. The word Gethsemane means "oil press" or "olive press" which leads scholars to believe that the garden was a grove of olive trees in which was located an oil press. Susan Clayton [Archaeology] [Images of selected s...

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Sketch of Valleys, Walls, and Gates of Jerusalem

The three valleys that almost surround the Old City are mentioned many times in the Bible. They are the Tyropean, Kidron, and Hinnom Valleys. The Tyropean Valley is located just to the west of the Ophel. It is difficult to see today because it has been filled in during construction and reconstruction in the Old City. The Kidron Valley is located be...

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Mount Zion - article

Geographically, the mountain known as Zion is an elongated triangular plateau that forms the ridge between the Kidron valley to the east and the Tyropoean valley to the west. Rising slightly above the surounding Judean countryside and flanked to the east by a constant water supply from the Gihon spring, this mount was most likely chosen as a habita...

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