Carved stone from the Hulda Gate Temple Mount. Courtesy of the Israel Antiquities AuthorityFor many years, scientific excavations of archaeological sites in Jerusalem were impossible. Excavations in the city began in the 19th century, but were carried out with many restrictions and at relatively few sites. Nevertheless, archaeological material was discovered from the Chalcolithic period onwards.
The archaeological secrets of the city remained concealed until the Six Day War of 1967. Since then, extensive and fundamental excavations have added considerably to our knowledge of ancient Jerusalem. These excavations have primarily concentrated on the areas of the Western and Southern Walls of the Temple Mount, the Jewish Quarter in David's Citadel, Mount Zion, and the City of David.
Excavations in Jerusalem in recent years have helped to archaeologists to reconstruct, with a good degree of accuracy, the gates and flights of stairs of Ancient Jerusalem, the walls of the Temple Mount, and several buildings, such as the Royal Stoa built by Herod. These reconstructions provide a glimpse of Jerusalem as it may have been at the end of the Second Temple period.
Jewish Ossuaries, 1st century BCE - 1st century CEFinds from the Second Temple Period
Numerous finds from the Second Temple period have been discovered in the various excavations at Jerusalem. The Second Temple artifacts on display come from a site in the vicinity of the Temple Mount.
The most impressive artifacts are those architectonic features associated with the building activities of King Herod. The erection of the Temple Mount walls and gates was part of the construction of the Temple itself. Among the collection are remains from the Temple's Hulda Gates. These remains have provided a wealth of information about decoration styles and Jewish art at Jerusalem during the Herodian period. Using these building fragments, the magnificence of Jerusalem at the end of the Second Temple period can be reconstructed.
Everyday stone utensils are especially noteworthy because they point to a highly developed stonemason industry in Jerusalem. The popularity of stone utensils at this time is most likely associated with the gradual definition of the Jewish laws concerning purity and cleanliness. The most outstanding examples of this type of work include cups, furniture, and sundials (see also the model of the Burnt House).
Finds from the First Temple Period
Kraters found one on top of the other. First Temple period Courtesy of the Israel Antiquities AuthorityRemains from the First Temple period of Jerusalem have been discovered at in the City of David, in the Jewish Quarter, on the Temple Mount, and on Mount Zion. Most of the discovered objects have been dated to the final stage of the Kingdom of Judah (8th-6th centuries BCE).
The objects exhibited at the museum were discovered in the ruins of a magnificent house excavated by the Temple Mount Expedition. The collection includes bowls, jars, and kraters. The highly burnished bowls reflect a high standard of craftsmanship and allude to the rank of the house's inhabitants. The three storage jars, likely used to keep oil, along many additional vessels were found in the cellar of the house. The four large kraters were discovered upside down in a heap, and were probably left in that fashion by their last owners. The building itself was demolished in the great destruction of the First Temple in 586 BCE.
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