Zev Orenstein

This is one of the largest active excavations going on in Jerusalem today, going back some 2,700 years, all the way up to modern times, one layer built atop the next.

This is one of the largest active excavations going on in Jerusalem today, going back some 2,700 years, all the way up to modern times, one layer built atop the next.

This is one of the largest active excavations going on in Jerusalem today, going back some 2,700 years, all the way up to modern times, one layer built atop the next.

So we're about to enter into a compound that goes back about 2,600 years. And the Bible talks about how in Jerusalem you had all these big structures here that when the Babylonians destroyed Jerusalem in 586 BCE, they burned all these structures to the ground along with the temple. And if you come in here, you'll see something incredible.

So we're about to enter into a compound that goes back about 2,600 years. And the Bible talks about how in Jerusalem you had all these big structures here that when the Babylonians destroyed Jerusalem in 586 BCE, they burned all these structures to the ground along with the temple. And if you come in here, you'll see something incredible.

So we're about to enter into a compound that goes back about 2,600 years. And the Bible talks about how in Jerusalem you had all these big structures here that when the Babylonians destroyed Jerusalem in 586 BCE, they burned all these structures to the ground along with the temple. And if you come in here, you'll see something incredible.

In the walls, literally, we have remnants of the fire, of the destruction of Jerusalem by the Babylonians. That is ash. That is ash from 2,500 years ago, from the actual fires when the Babylonians burned Jerusalem. That's what you're holding in your hand right now.

In the walls, literally, we have remnants of the fire, of the destruction of Jerusalem by the Babylonians. That is ash. That is ash from 2,500 years ago, from the actual fires when the Babylonians burned Jerusalem. That's what you're holding in your hand right now.

In the walls, literally, we have remnants of the fire, of the destruction of Jerusalem by the Babylonians. That is ash. That is ash from 2,500 years ago, from the actual fires when the Babylonians burned Jerusalem. That's what you're holding in your hand right now.

It is, yeah. So we're standing on the pilgrimage road. We're about halfway up. It's about a half mile long, right? And what we have here is this is the road that 2,000 years ago that our ancestors, when they would have first gone to the Pool of Siloam, cleansed before making their way up the half-mile journey along the pilgrimage road up to the temple on the Temple Mount.

It is, yeah. So we're standing on the pilgrimage road. We're about halfway up. It's about a half mile long, right? And what we have here is this is the road that 2,000 years ago that our ancestors, when they would have first gone to the Pool of Siloam, cleansed before making their way up the half-mile journey along the pilgrimage road up to the temple on the Temple Mount.

It is, yeah. So we're standing on the pilgrimage road. We're about halfway up. It's about a half mile long, right? And what we have here is this is the road that 2,000 years ago that our ancestors, when they would have first gone to the Pool of Siloam, cleansed before making their way up the half-mile journey along the pilgrimage road up to the temple on the Temple Mount.

These are the original flagstones from 2,000 years ago. Not stones that look like these. These are the original stones. When they first began excavating the pilgrimage road, they found that there were potholes. They said, okay, well, potholes today, potholes 2,000 years ago. But then they found another one and another one and another one, evenly spaced, always in the same spot.

These are the original flagstones from 2,000 years ago. Not stones that look like these. These are the original stones. When they first began excavating the pilgrimage road, they found that there were potholes. They said, okay, well, potholes today, potholes 2,000 years ago. But then they found another one and another one and another one, evenly spaced, always in the same spot.

These are the original flagstones from 2,000 years ago. Not stones that look like these. These are the original stones. When they first began excavating the pilgrimage road, they found that there were potholes. They said, okay, well, potholes today, potholes 2,000 years ago. But then they found another one and another one and another one, evenly spaced, always in the same spot.

And someone was deliberately breaking open the pilgrimage road. And the question is why? So they looked at the writings of the historian Josephus, and Josephus says in the year 70, the Romans are destroying Jerusalem. The temple atop the Temple Mount inflames. The last Jews of Jerusalem seek refuge from the Romans where? In the drainage channel.

And someone was deliberately breaking open the pilgrimage road. And the question is why? So they looked at the writings of the historian Josephus, and Josephus says in the year 70, the Romans are destroying Jerusalem. The temple atop the Temple Mount inflames. The last Jews of Jerusalem seek refuge from the Romans where? In the drainage channel.

And someone was deliberately breaking open the pilgrimage road. And the question is why? So they looked at the writings of the historian Josephus, and Josephus says in the year 70, the Romans are destroying Jerusalem. The temple atop the Temple Mount inflames. The last Jews of Jerusalem seek refuge from the Romans where? In the drainage channel.

beneath the pilgrimage road, the ancient sewer system. Archaeologists find whole cooking pots, meaning the people who were down there were there for days, weeks, months, until the Romans find them all and kill them all. Now, the Romans were so proud of their conquest over Jerusalem that they meant to commemorate a coin.

beneath the pilgrimage road, the ancient sewer system. Archaeologists find whole cooking pots, meaning the people who were down there were there for days, weeks, months, until the Romans find them all and kill them all. Now, the Romans were so proud of their conquest over Jerusalem that they meant to commemorate a coin.