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Archaeology With a Purpose
An accurate understanding of
man's past is much more valuable
today than mere precious stones or
metals recovered by archaeologists,
for it contributes to an understand–
ing of the world we live in. Archae–
ology helps us understand t he
human activities and behavior that
10
have carried us to the present tragic
crisis in human affairs.
Throughout his existence, man
has left behind material remains as–
sociated with his dai ly life - pots,
tools, weapons, art work and reli–
gious objects. These objects, coupled
with remains of cities, temples,
shops and fortifications, give addi–
tional clues helpful in reconstructing
the spiritual and mental elements of
man's past social systems and their
effects on today's society.
For the early periods of man's
existence, archaeological excavation
provides the only
material
source of
knowledge. However, even when
written records become available,
archaeology is not relegated to a
secondary position. Historical rec-
HERODIAN
.JERUSALEM
COMING to life, after being
buried for nineteen centurias, is
the Jerusalem of the time of
Herod and Jesus.
Archaeological teams, digging
in Jerusalem's Old City, have
uncovered in six seasons of work
the foundations and other archi–
tectu ral features of Herodian
structures to the south and west
of the Temple Mount.
1t
is now
possible for architects to tenta–
tively reconstruct the general
character of Jerusalem in this
histor-ie area.
The reconstruction below is
a three-d imensional rendering of
the area in white (left) surround–
ing the sout hwest corner of the
Temple Mount, as it might have
appeared to those living in the
Upper City in New Testament
times.
PLAIN TRUTH September 1973