Jerusalem’s Decumanus or main east-west street discovered
Imagine finding a 1500 year old map of Jerusalem depicting the city gates, monumental public buildings, and the main colonnaded streets of the town- and all in bright living colors! Now that’s what I call a true treasure map! Now imagine taking a spade, digging down 15 feet beneath the current level of Jerusalem's old city, and actually uncovering the 6th century streets and buildings located in the map. Well, that’s what Israel’s Department of Antiquities has been doing, and what excitement! We recently uncovered one of ancient Jerusalem’s main Roman/Byzantine streets – the Decumanus or main east-west road. For the benefit of those who have been to Israel before it’s just inside of Jaffa Gate – more or less beneath the modern day Arab souk or street market.
Madeba map
The map is the famous Madeba map and is actually the mosaic floor of a 6th century church in Jordan today. It depicts the Holy Land and Jerusalem in great detail- as it was back then, before the Moslem conquest of the region from the Byzantine or eastern Roman empire in the 7th century.
Historical background: The Late Roman / Byzantine period
Most people are familiar with the Roman destruction of Jerusalem and torching of the Great Temple of the Jews that stood on Mount Moriah, by Titus, the Roman army commander, in the year 70 A.D. But what happened afterwards? What became of the Holy City and its Jewish inhabitants?
Following the destruction of the Temple, Jerusalem was slowly rebuilt and a measure of normalcy returned. But Jewish longing for independence and desire to rebuild the Temple never ceased. In the year 135 A.D., some 65 years after the destruction of the Temple, the Jewish people make their last and final bid to oust the Romans. This is known as the Bar Kochba revolt, named after it’s leader. This time, the Roman emperor, Hadrian, completely destroys Jerusalem, plows it under, and rebuilds Jerusalem as a Roman city, replete with pagan temples and shrines. He even changes the name of Jerusalem to Aelia Capitolina and makes it off limits to Jews and Christians. Hadrian also changes the name of Judea to Palestina. The latter name is taken from Old Testament Philistines, that King David conquered and subdued almost 1000 years earlier! These were indeed difficult times…
We fast forward a couple of hundred years: In the 4th century, Christianity had made such inroads into the Roman empire that the emperor Constantine officially recognizes it as the official religion and pumps huge sums of money into converting Jerusalem into the spiritual capital of the empire. There is a literal building boom. Over a period of some 200 years magnificent imperial churches and shrines are built over the Christian holy places, beautiful colonnaded streets abound, and pilgrims stream into the Holy City from all over the known world. This is a high point in the history of Jerusalem as it attains a measure of the former glory it had known under the Jewish people when the Temple was still standing.
Let’s explore the Land together!
Hope to see you in Israel soon and to have the opportunity to show you the Roman street and other new finds. Don’t put off a visit to Israel any longer -- it is the greatest of journeys which truly touches the heart and soul.
With shalom, Zach
Relevant links
Zack’s newsletter sign-up: http://www.landofisraeltours.com/page.php?d=502
Israel history: http://www.landofisraeltours.com/page.php?p=52
Israel / Holy Land Maps: http://www.landofisraeltours.com/page.php?p=56
Feedback & Testimonials: http://www.landofisraeltours.com/page.php?p=6
Contact Zack: http://www.landofisraeltours.com/page.php?p=60
