Archaeology
Archaeologists find evidence of the Roman destruction of Jerusalem
Archaeologists from the Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA) have found evidence of the Roman destruction of Jerusalem during excavations at the City of David in the Jerusalem Walls National Park.
The destruction of Jerusalem was in response to the Great Revolt, the first of several uprisings by the Jewish population of Judea against the Roman Empire. The seeds of the revolt was in part caused by increasing religious tensions and high taxation, leading to the plundering of the Second Temple and the arrest of senior Jewish political and religious figures by the Romans.
The Romans mobilised four Legions (supported by forces of Agrippa) to subdue the rebellion and punish the Jewish people as an example to others. The legions reached Jerusalem in AD 70, placing the city under siege for four months.
After several battles, the entire city and the Second Temple was destroyed, with contemporary historian, Titus Flavius Josephus. stating: “Jerusalem … was so thoroughly razed to the ground by those that demolished it to its foundations, that nothing was left that could ever persuade visitors that it had once been a place of habitation.”
Excavations in the City of David have found collapsed buildings alongside the “Pilgrim’s Road” – the main street of Jerusalem during the Second Temple period. Inside one of the buildings are traces of burnt wooden beams from the time of the destruction, in addition to decorated stone vessels, a stone weight, a crucible for melting metal, and a bronze bowl.
The team also found a coin from the second year of the Great Revolt with the inscription: “For the freedom of Zion.”
According to Israel Antiquities Authority excavation directors, Shlomo Greenberg and Rikki Zalut Har-Tuv: “All these findings together paint a picture of the lives of the residents who lived in Jerusalem just prior to the destruction. To return to Jerusalem after 2,000 years and rediscover the remains of the destruction, especially in an excavation taking place shortly before Tisha B’Av, is a very moving experience that cannot leave us indifferent.”
Header Image Credit : IAA
Archaeologists from the Uncovering Roman Carlisle project have discovered a rare lump of Tyrian purple at the grounds of the Carlisle Cricket Club in Carlisle, England.
The project is a community supported excavation by Wardell Armstrong, focusing on uncovering a Roman bath house found in 2017.
The bath house is located near the Roman fort of Uxelodunum (meaning “high fort”), also known as Petriana, in the Carlisle district of Stanwix.
Uxelodunum was constructed to control the territories west of present-day Carlisle and an important crossing on the River Eden. The fort was garrisoned by the Ala Petriana, a 1,000-strong cavalry unit, whose members were all granted Roman citizenship for valour on the field.
Previous excavations at the bath house have discovered colossal sandstone heads depicting Roman gods, in addition to engraved gems known as intaglios, figurines, animal bones, and imperial-stamped tiles.
During the latest season of excavations, archaeologists found a mysterious lump of a soft purple substance. The substance was tested by researchers from Newcastle University, revealing that it contained levels of Bromine and beeswax.
According to the researchers, the substance is Tyrian purple, a coloured dye associated with the Imperial Court in the Roman Empire. Tyrian purple is secreted by several species of predatory sea snails in the family Muricidae, rock snails originally known by the name Murex.
Frank Giecco, Technical Director at Wardell Armstrong, said: “For millennia, Tyrian Purple was the world’s most expensive and sought after colour. It’s presence in Carlisle combined with other evidence from the excavation all strengthens the hypothesis that the building was in some way associated with the Imperial Court of the Emperor Septimius Severus which was located in York and possibly relates to an Imperial visit to Carlisle.”
“It’s the only example we know of in Northern Europe – possibly the only example of a solid sample of the pigment in the form of unused paint pigment anywhere in the Roman Empire. Examples have been found of it in wall paintings (like in Pompeii) and some high status painted coffins from the Roman province of Egypt,” said Giecco.
Header Image Credit : Wardell Armstrong
Sources : Wardell Armstrong
This content was originally published on www.heritagedaily.com – © 2023 – HeritageDaily
Excavations led by the Israel Antiquities Authority, working in collaboration with Tel Aviv University and the Weizmann Institute of Science, have linked an event mentioned in the Bible to archaeological findings from the City of David.
The results of the excavation, published in the journal PNAS, challenges the accepted perceptions of the development of Jerusalem during the rule of the kings of Judah. In particular, the scope of Jerusalem during the reigns of David and Solomon and the period that followed.
The researchers have accurately dated several structures, including the city walls and royal construction projects, which are linked to Jerusalem’s growth to the west during the period of King Hezekiah around 2,700-years-ago.
The previous assumption was that the city expanded due to the arrival of refugees due to the Assyrian exile, however, the new findings now indicate that the city spread towards Mount Zion in the 9th century BC during the reign of King Jehoash, 100 years before the Assyrian exile period.
Prof. Yuval Gadot from the Department of Archeology at Tel Aviv University, said: “In light of this, the new research teaches us that the expansion of Jerusalem is a result of internal-Judean demographic growth and the establishment of political and economic systems.”
Excavations have also revealed that the wall of Jerusalem on the eastern slopes of the city of David is older than previously thought. It was thought that the wall in this area was built by Hezekiah, King of Judah, however, findings now indicate that it dates from the reign of King Uzziah.
King Uzziah is described in a passage in the bible that reads: “’And Uzziah built towers in Jerusalem… and strengthened them” (2 Chronicles 26:9).
According to Dr. Uziel: “Until now, many researchers have assumed that the wall was built by Hezekiah during his rebellion against Sennacherib (King of Assyria), in order to defend Jerusalem during the Assyrian siege. It is now apparent that the wall in the easter part of the City of David, was built earlier and as part of the construction of the city during the reign of King Uzziah.”
Header Image Credit : Leonardo Gurvitz, City of David Archives
Sources : IAA
This content was originally published on www.heritagedaily.com – © 2023 – HeritageDaily
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