The Roman destruction of the city of Jerusalem laid waste to the city such that today only a few archaeological remnants can be seen. The most well-known and popular is, of course, the Kotel (Western Wall), the outer retaining wall of the Temple Mount.
But the Old City’s Jewish Quarter is also home to the Burnt House, the once-stately manor of an upper class Jewish family of the priestly caste in Second Temple Jerusalem.
The reconstructed room, an audio-visual presentation and the displayed findings – serve as a time capsule of these tragic events.
Inside you’ll find a small collection of period antiquities within the visible remnants of the house itself, including earthenware inscribed with the family’s name. You’ll also be treated to an, ahem, enthusiastic film dramatization (in Hebrew and English), complete with simmering intrigue and hammy acting, of the doomed family’s last days as Jerusalem tore itself apart from within while the Romans lay in wait outside the gates. When the Jewish quarter was rebuilt in the early 1970s, extensive archeological excavations were conducted in the area.
The excavators, headed by Prof N. Avigad, found a Roman period house under a layer of ashes and destruction.
More Info: The Burnt House of Kathros Phone: 02-6287211 Address: 1 Hakara’im St., Jewish Quarter, Jerusalem | Opening Hours: Sun. 10:00 – 17:00 Fri. & Holiday Eves. 9:00 – 13:00 |
