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ars, these stairways and gates figure
prominently in various rabbinic
writings as places of public happen–
ings. One example speaks of Gama–
liel and the elders standing at the
top of the ascent to the Temple
Mount (Tos Sanhedrin 2:2). An–
other source mentions that the east–
ern gate (with the smaller flight of
steps) was the one used as the
entrance into the Temple Mount.
The western one apparently served
struction to the revolt under Bar
Kochba, A.D. 132-135, few discov–
eries have been made. Sorne coins
have been found which date to the
reigns of various emperors and to
the years of the revolt. One find of
particular interest is a monumental
column dedicated to the emperors
Vespasian and Titus, and to Lucius
Flavius Silva, the commander of the
Tenth Legion. The latter's name
had been obliterated - an m-
'
lt is impossible
to
fully
understand Western
civilization, its roots
and
its
future,
without
understanding what happened in
and around
Jerusalem.
as the exit
(Mishna,
Midot l :3).
Events referred to in the New
Testament as taking place at the
gate going up into the Temple could
well be about these gates; the con–
text would determine the likelihood
of such an identification.
Finally, evidence has been uncov–
ered which expands on a statement
made in John 2:20. This verse states
that the Temple area was under
construction for forty-six years at
the first Passover (A.D. 28) of Jesus'
rninistry. Josephus comments that
the Temple was finished in the rule
of the Roman govemor Albinus
(A.D. 62-64). In fact several stages,
represented by repairs, raising of
fioors, and layers with artifacts dat–
ing to different reigns of the Hero–
dian dynasty, have been found. It
seems from comparison of the re–
mains with statements made by Jo–
sephus that most of these repairs
were carried out under the reigns of
Agrippa I and Il.
Roman Occupation
In A.D. 70, Jerusalem was de–
stroyed; the Temple Mount and its
surrounding area were no excep–
tions. Evidence of the destruction is
found everywhere.
From the time of Jerusalem's de-
14
dication that he had fallen from fa–
vor at a later date. The column was
not found in connection with any
Roman remains. An alert student
identified it in secondary usage as
part of a later Omayyad foundation.
The revolt under Bar Kochba had
been precipitated by Emperor Ha–
drian's decrees in A.D. 131 which
changed Jerusalem into a Roman
colony. The city's name was
changed to Aelia Capitolina, Aelia,
honoring the Emperor - Publius
Aelius Hadrianus - and Capitolina
for the Roman god Jupiter Capito–
linus to whom the site of the Temple
was dedicated. Believing this to be
the fulfillment of certain prophecies
in Daniel, the Jews revolted under
the leadership of Simon Bar Kosiba
(Bar Kochba) and Rabbi Akiva.
The revolt was finally suppressed
in A.D. 135, and the Jews were ex–
pelled from Judaea. After this inter–
ruption, Hadrian continued his plan
of turning Jerusalem into a Roman
colony. To that end, the Tenth Le–
gion- Fretensis- was permanently
stationed in Aelia Capitolina by im–
perial decree.
Many bricks stamped "Legio X
Fretensis" have been found at the
dig, together with numerous coins
minted in Aelia Capitolina, as well
as coins minted in other cities -
usually those located along the coast
of the Levan
t.
Other numerous arti–
facts include gaming cubes, pottery,
and pieces of bronze sculpture. One
piece of particular interest portrays
a mounted barbarían whose horse
has been broken off. A second piece
is a sculpture of Apollo.
Sorne of the buildings used by the
Tenth Legion that are to the south–
west of Robinson's Arch have been
excavated. One, apparently, was the
legion's bakery, identified by the
typical round ovens found in the
fioor. Farther to the north, a large
bath house is being excavated. Al–
though it was in use during the By–
zantine period, the typical bricks of
the Tenth Legion were found in the
context of its earlier phase, thus in–
dicating that it was built when the
Roman army was still stationed
in
Aelia.
Professor Mazar has been able to
date the time of the legion's evac–
uation to just before the close of the
third century A.D., largely with the
aid of coins. After that time, the
Legio X Fretensis moved south to
Eilat, on the Red Sea.
Jerusalem has always been, and
is, a city of many peoples and reli–
gions.
It
is holy to three major reli–
gions and is a meeting place of
ancient and modern cultures which
have shaped the Western world. lt is
impossible to fully understand
Western civilization, its roots and its
future, without understanding what
happened in and around Jerusalem.
Herod and the Romans left their
indelible marks on Old Jerusalem,
and what they built strongly in–
fiuenced the city's present character.
However, they weren't the only
builders of Jerusalem. Byzantine
Christians from the fourth through
the sixth centuries A.D. and the
Arabs after them also played major
roles in making Jerusalem what she
is today. The importance of these
roles will be dealt with in a forth–
coming article.
O
PLAIN TRUTH September 1973