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When Rova residents sit down at the Seder table Passover night, we know that underneath our homes, two thousand years ago, our distant relatives ate the Passover offering hot off the spit from the neighboring Temple. The homes in this museum were uncovered after '67 before Yeshivat HaKotel was built, unearthing a neighborhood of priests from the time of the Second Temple (A far cry from the days of my youth in Atlanta, GA, watching people get really excited about remains from the Civil War. Gevald!!). How do we know that priests lived here? Check out the numerous mikves (ritual baths) in every corner. That's usually the give away for Cohanim who had to be in a constant state of ritual purity before being able to serve in the Temple. Actually everybody was eating sanctified foods within the walls of the city, requiring clothing, dishes and even furniture to be ritually pure. Fascinating exhibit of "avodah zara" (idol worship) from part of the building that remains from the First Temple period, plus vessels from the Second Temple that you learn about in the Mishna. Also, look for the fallen beam, now a pile of ashes. This building fell on Tisha B'av, the original one, together with our Holy Temple. It is a six-house compound, situated on the slope of the hill facing the Temple Mount. The archeological remains are at the basement level of the ancient two level buildings. Visitors to the site are actually at the basement level of Yeshivat Hakotel and of the ancient quarter. The Upper City was situated on the western hill – the location of today’s Jewish Quarter. Populated by aristocratic families and Temple priests, the homes were built on terraces, one above the other on the slope, the roof of one house forming the basement of the house above. This allowed all the homes to have an unrestricted view of the Temple. The exhibit focuses on three houses: The Western House, the Middle Complex and the Palatial Mansion. These were apparently the homes of aristocratic families during the Herodian period, probably Temple priests and their families. The homes were designed in the Hellenistic/Roman style popular at the time. The design of the dwellings, and the findings revealed during the excavations, bear witness to the residents’ wealth and high standard of living. They allow us to observe the living conditions and way of life of Jerusalem aristocrats on the eve of the destruction of the Second Temple. Special attention was given to the quarter’s bathing rooms. The flooring was composed of colorful mosaics, and frescoes adorned the walls. The utensils, the artifacts and the luxuries revealed in the excavations, such as the decorated plates and imported wine jugs, all attest to the wealth of the residents. The largest and most important house in the museum is known as “The Palatial Mansion”. It has a built area of 600 sqm., and its rooms were richly decorated. It also had a large balcony with a view of the Temple. A unique find is the seven-armed menorah (candelabra) carved on one of the walls. This is the oldest explicit depiction of the menorah, and it is likely that it was carved by a person who had actually seen the original menorah, still at use at that time in the Temple.The museum was built thanks to a donation by Vivian and Morris Wohl z"l. Restoration activities have been undertaken recently, and a new, modern and attractive presentation, incorporating advanced multimedia systems, is being planned. (taken from JQDC website www.rova-yehudi.org.il)
Open Sun-Thurs 9:00-4:00, Fri 9:00-12:30. Admission fee: 16 shekels (group rate 13 shekels) Phone: 628-4448
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