The archaeologists further noted, “Historical sources tell us that Herod’s construction projects in Jerusalem included, first and foremost, the expansion of the Temple Mount area and the Temple itself. In addition, during his reign, a series of impressive public buildings — palaces and fortifications — were built throughout the city, requiring a huge supply of high-quality construction stones. Monumental construction projects continued in the city under his successors as well.”
“In the ancient world, there were a lot of technologies to shape the stones, and special carts designed to carry them. The Old City isn’t so far,” Chernin said. “There are many cases from the same period of larger stones being transported much further.”
The American Tribune reported last year on the news that archaeologists had unearthed the ancient steps to the pool of Siloam in a major development in biblical archaeology. “It’s exciting to be a part of a story that’s bigger than ourselves — to be a part of bringing a story to life that has significance not for millions, but for billions,” said Ze’ev Orenstein, director of international affairs for the City of David Foundation. The pool was used by Jesus Christ and others as an ancient ritual bath. The Gospel of John documented that it was the site where Jesus encountered the blind man he healed in the famous biblical account.
Orenstein continued,“There is no half mile that means more to more people that affirms Jerusalem’s biblical heritage not simply as a matter of faith, but as a matter of fact. And obviously living in a time where so much of biblical heritage is being questioned — to be able to be unearthing all of this historical heritage and antiquity that shows that whether for Jews or Christians, that you could see it, you could touch it, you could walk on it, that really our heritage in Jerusalem going back thousands of years, not simply a matter of faith, but a matter of fact, being unearthed here in the city of David.”
Featured image credit: Heinrich Hofmann, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Jesus_Christ_-_Hofmann.jpg