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Jerusalem 1918

February 19, 2011 By Leave a Comment

This is rare footage of Jerusalem in 1918.

It was found with a Jewish family in Amsterdam. It is not clear if the head of the family filmed it himself or assembled it from various pieces.
It was uploaded by Yaacov Gross presumably for Hebrew speaking audience.
I apologize to my English readers that all titles are in Hebrew, but I hope you will enjoy it anyway. I wish I knew how to add English
subtitles.

The film shows Jerusalem inside the walls – Temple Mount, The Western Wall or as it was known then – the Wailing Wall. You will see the Arab market and Damascus Gate, as well as street scenes from just inside Jaffa Gate. There are shots of the Tomb of David on Mt. Zion, of “David’s Well” – better known as the Gihon Spring today; of Rachel’s Tomb and the Tomb of Absalom in the Kidron Valley. [Read more...]

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Herod The Great – King of Judea

January 20, 2010 By 3 Comments

Rare bust of Herod the Great, 1st C

Herod was born in 73 BCE to an Arab mother and an Edomite father, who some claim had converted to Judaism. He grew up in Hasmonean Judea, where he was raised as a Jew. At this time the Hasmonean kingdom, which had ruled since the Maccabean Revolt in 162 BCE, was being torn apart through a civil war between two princely brothers, Hyrcanus II and Aristobulus II. This at a time when Rome was the rising superpower of the ancient world.

Around the year 67 BCE Hyrcanus turns to Rome for help, and Rome enters under the conquest of General Pompei. Herod, as his father, had early on seen the benefits of siding with the Romans, and eventually it was the Romans who installed Herod as King of Judea.
[Read more...]

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The Western Wall in Jerusalem

December 10, 2009 By 6 Comments

06042009152The Western Wall is one of Jerusalem’s most known sites, to Jewish, Israelis and visitors. It is the holiest site for Jews all over the world.

The part of the wall that is exposed is what is by most is referred to as The Western Wall. However, what we today can see is only a small section of a much larger wall that stretches for some 488 meters total. This larger wall is really the Western retaining wall to the Temple Mount, built by Herod  the Great, beginning 19 BCE.

What is commonly referred to as The Western Wall is 57 meter long and 19 meters high. There are a total of 45 courses of stone, 28 above present ground level, 17 below. These 17 courses plus 7 visible courses are the original stones from Herods retaining wall. The next four courses were added in the early Arab period (636-1099), the next 14 from the Ottoman period, and the last three were added in the 20th century. [Read more...]

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In and around the Old City of Jerusalem

June 19, 2009 By 1 Comment

This list includes most of the sites to visit and a brief description of each.

It will be a completely individual choice which ones should be part of your itinerary. It will very much depend on your interest and life style.

Mt. of Olives seen from the Jewish Quarter

Mt. of Olives – the highest mountain in Jerusalem. It affords a spectacular view of the city from the east. This is one place where a first understanding of what Jerusalem is can be had.

The Jewish Cemetery on the Mt. of Olives
The oldest and largest Jewish cemetery, it has been in use for app. 2500 years and is still in being used. Can be seen from the panoramic view on the top of the mountain.The Chapel of the Ascension (within the grounds of a Moslem Mosque)
The different churches that stood on this site were built around the stone from where Jesus ascended to heaven. The proof is in the footprint in the rock. [Read more...]

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Jerusalem – What Is It

June 15, 2009 By 6 Comments

The word Jerusalem invokes feelings and images in most of us. What may your feelings be? What images?

Jerusalem Overview

Jerusalem Overview

Is the image mostly associated with Jerusalem, of the overview from the Mt. of Olives, looking down on Temple Mount with the Shrine of Dome of the Rock?
Is it the crowded bazars inside the walls of the Old City?
Or is it one of Jerusalem’s best known sites, The Western Wall?
Or is it the grave within the Church of the Holy Sepulcher or the road leading there, the Via Dolorosa?

The images that the word Jerusalem conjures up in our minds will very much depend on our background, our religious orientation (whether there is one or not), on stories we may have heard as a child, or even as an adult. It will also be dependent on whether we have visited the city.

One thing is for certain. Jerusalem is one of the worlds most famous cities, and rightfully so. It is famous [Read more...]

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