Herodian Mansions + Southern Wall Excavation

by Alex Milgram, 10th grade, NJ

golden menorah on display in the Jewish Quarter in Jerusalem

We started the tiyul by entering a museum built on the remains of an ancient Cohenim (Sadducees) house. It amazed me how massive it was, I couldn't imagine how long it would take to build the house brick by brick. Or how long it would take to construct the beautiful mosaic that we found on the floors. The mosaic artwork consisted of shades of reds, blues, and whites forming patterns that appeared to be waves. This artwork teaches us about trade as the rocks use in mosaic were from all over Israel. The mosaic, not depicting a graven image or person is considered "kosher", a sign that the residents of
the house were observant Jews. This was later confirmed by the numerous mikvaot we found there too.

mosaic floor at the Wohl Archaeological Museum in the Jewish Quarter.  Houses of the Cohenim.

The next museum we visited at the Southern Temple Mount excavations had a moving picture depicting the steps and preparation that each oleh regel (pilgrim) went through before entering the Beit Hamikdash. Once arriving in Jerusalem they had to buy a sacrificial animal (one that's kosher). After, they would spiritually cleanse themselves in a mikva. Once pure and in possession of a sacrificial animal such as a goat, they would pay a fee and begin their way up the Temple's steps. Leading up to the Beit HaMikdash you would walk past community members who were sinners or mourners purposefully walking against the traffic. They would go through this process three times a year, on Passover, Sukkot, and Shavuot.

Robinson's Arch at the Temple Mount in Jerusalem

At the end up the tiyul our class put are notebooks aside and walked up the southern steps of Temple mound singing Shir HaMaalot (Psalm 126). I could only imagine what that would have felt like if I was pilgrim walking up the temple with a goat in my hands. Even Today a structure built around two thousand years ago still means a lot to the modern Jewish state. For starters the Temple Mount is regarded as the holiest place in Judaism. All around the world when Jews pray they face the Temple Mount or Har HaBayit in Hebrew. It is also the site of Mount Moriah, the site of the biblical story of the binding of Isaac. Lastly Jewish tradition teaches us that when the messiah comes, this place will be the spot for the third Temple. All in all the Temple Mount is a pretty big deal in Judaism, along with Christianity and Islam for that matter. Its overwhelming to be apart of a tradition/commandment that spans back further than 900 BCE and to experience what it would be like to be a pilgrim coming from far and wide to make it to the Temple in Jerusalem.     

the Southern Steps of Har HaBayit, the Temple Mount in Jerusalem