Category: Jerusalem

Last year about this time, Daniel Smith produced a video on The Archaeology of Gethsemane.  

Now he has produced another video on his YouTube channel called Messages of Christ, this time on the method of crucifixion by first delving into the history and archaeology of what is known. He wrote that if we feel it would be of interest to our audience, we’d love to have it shared on your blog. Of course we would! Click on the image below to see the video:

This is the text that introduces the video:

“Much of what we think we know about the crucifixion of Jesus on Golgotha is inaccurate. We set out to better understand the crucifixion. To more fully comprehend the suffering Christ endured. 

What did it really look like? Do we have any archaeological evidence? And what exactly happened on Good Friday? To find out, we consulted archaeologists, physicians, and historians — piecing together ancient texts with modern discovery, and modeling the entire story for the first time. 

Join us as we reveal what the crucifixion on Calvary actually looked like and what it meant for the cross, once a symbol of Roman terror, to become the ultimate symbol of hope found in the empty tomb.”

Enjoy watching!

The barbaric Bondi Beach massacre that happened on the 14^th of December 2025 as the Jewish community was celebrating the first day of Hanukkah was universally condemned and rightly so. 15 people unfortunately lost their lives, including a child and many suffered gunshot wounds. For the Jews, Hanukkah was a feast of lights, but while discussing this with some people, very few knew what Hanukkah was all about and when this festival began to be celebrated? 

The Hebrew word Hanukkah means dedication. In Numbers 7:10, 84, 88 and 2 Chron. 7:9 this word is used for the dedication of the altar, first of the Tabernacle and then of the Temple. Psalm 30 is a song for the dedication of the house of David; and in the post-exilic period it is used for the dedication of the House of God (Ezra 6:16) and of the repaired city wall (Nehemiah 12:27). 

So, what is the origin of the Feast of Hanukkah and which dedication does it refer to? Most of the historical information comes from the intertestamental books of First and Second Maccabees. Historical documents from this time are known as the deuterocanonical literature. Six other books are accepted as deuterocanonical by some ancient churches: Tobit, Judith, Baruch, Ecclesiasticus, and Wisdom. Other sources are the Works of Flavius Josephus, History of the Jewish War, The Antiquities of the Jews, and Against Apion.

Josephus records in a somewhat fanciful manner (Ant. 11.325–339) a visit to the Temple by Alexander the Great after his capture of Gaza in 332 BCE. Here, the Jewish historian has him sacrificing in the Temple under the guidance of the High Priest. Although this may be mere legend, the story points to the perpetuation of the Temple services following their revival after the return from exile in Babylon.

Around the end of the third century BCE, restoration work was carried out on the Temple Mount by the High Priest Simon, son of Onias. According to the apocryphal work of Ben Sira called Ecclesiasticus (50.1–3), the work is described as follows: 

“It was the High Priest Simon son of Onias who repaired the Temple during his lifetime and in his day fortified the sanctuary. He laid the foundations of the double height, the high buttresses of the Temple precincts. In his day the water cistern was excavated, a reservoir as huge as the sea.”

It is clear from the text that the bulk of these works consisted of the repair and strengthening of existing structures.

After the death of Alexander the Great in 332 BCE, Judea came under Ptolemaic rule from 301-200 BCE. The Ptolemies were benevolent toward the Jews. Ptolemy Philadelphus II of Egypt (285-246 BCE) commissioned a translation of the Hebrew Bible in c. 250 BCE. A tradition (recorded in the Letter of Aristeas) says that scholars from Jerusalem translated the Torah, the five books of Moses, into Greek for Ptolemy’s library in Alexandria. The term Septuagint derives from the Latin for “seventy” (septuaginta) and refers to the seventy-two translators involved in this work. During the following century, the rest of the Hebrew Bible was translated into Greek, with the entire Greek version retaining this name.

During the 3^rd century BCE, many battles took place between the Ptolemies in the south and the Seleucids in the north. In 200 BC, a final battle between the two forces took place in Panion (modern Banias) which was lost by the Ptolemies. The Seleucids then controlled the Holy Land. Whereas the Ptolemies were benevolent rulers, the Seleucids were the very opposite.

The most infamous of the Seleucid rulers, Antiochus Epiphanes (1 Maccabees 1:10; 2 Maccabees 4:7), tried to impose Hellenistic culture on the Jewish people, forbidding worship on the Temple Mount. In 169 BCE, Antiochus Epiphanes went to Jerusalem, where he plundered the Temple and took all the furniture and treasures away to Antioch (1 Maccabees 1:21-23; 2 Maccabees 5:11-20). The altar was defiled by sacrificing a pig, and the Temple was dedicated to Olympian Zeus. The Jews were forbidden to practice their religion, including rituals such as sacrificing and circumcision, the observance of the Sabbath, and were compelled to accept the new pagan rituals. Some renegade Jews, under leadership of Jason the high priest, accepted the new religion.

The next year, in 168 BCE, a strong fortress, the Seleucid Akra, was built to the south of the Temple Mount and east of the Huldah Gates. These were the main gates that were used by people that went up from the Lower City to the Temple. The garrison that was stationed inside the fortress, could easily control access to the Temple Mount, and the Book of Maccabees 1:38 documented that it became an ambush for the sanctuary much resented by the Jews.

The desecration of the Jerusalem Temple and the construction of the Akra Fortress eventually led to the Maccabean revolt which lasted from 167 to 160 BCE. In 164 BCE, Judas defeated the Seleucid forces at the battle of Bethzur. Five years earlier, the Temple had been defiled by Antiochus IV Epiphanes, but now Judas the Maccabee and his men could go up to Jerusalem to purify and dedicate the sanctuary. When they found the Temple in a shocking state of neglect and its buildings in ruin, they mourned and prayed to God.

While cleaning the Temple, a small jug with olive oil was found under the seal of the High priest that was used to fill the lamps of the Lampstand (Menorah). There was only oil sufficient for one day, but, miraculously it lasted for eight days. That is where the idea of the Hanukkiah comes from.

Priests were selected to remove the defiled altar stones which were kept in a special place until they knew what to do with them (1Maccabees 4:45,46). They were eventually placed in a special room in the Chamber of the Hearth in Herod’s Temple.

A new altar was built from unhewn stones, the Temple was cleaned, new furniture brought in, and the Lampstand was lit. The Temple and altar were dedicated and there was great rejoicing. It was then decided to make a law that the keeping of this feast of dedication (Hanukkah) would be kept every year for eight days (1Maccabees 4:36-61; 2 Maccabees 10:1-8).

The Gospel of John records that Jesus too kept the Feast of Hanukkah (John 10:22). But where on the Temple Mount was Jesus? There are some unique locations in the Land of the Bible where you really get a sense of place. One  of these is inside the Eastern Wall of the Temple Mount in Jerusalem. Here the record of Jesus’ visit to the Temple precincts in John 10.22-39 comes to vibrant life. We are told:

And it was the feast of the dedication at Jerusalem: it was winter; and Jesus was walking in the Temple in Solomon’s Porch (John 10:22,23).

Jesus had come to keep Hanukkah, the Feast of Lights. This feast commemorates the dedication of the Temple in 164 BC, after it had been defiled by Antiochus IV Epiphanes, who, three years earlier, had ordered a pig to be sacrificed on the Temple altar.

But why does this place evoke the Gospel story so powerfully? It is surely because this side of the Temple Mount is closest to the original, with minimal additional construction. The Eastern Wall of the Temple Mount was the only one that was not moved by King Herod the Great when he carried out his monumental expansion of the Temple Mount in the first century.

At present there are no porticoes along the Eastern and Southern Walls of the Temple Mount. In the Herodian period, however, there were porticoes on all sides. The eastern stoa pre-dated the others and was already colonnaded in the Hasmonean period. This Porch, or stoa, stood directly over the wall of the earlier square Temple Mount and at the time of Herod the Great, was known as Solomon’s Porch.

This does not necessarily mean that this porch was built by this famous king, but certainly by Herod’s predecessors. Offering welcome shelter from sun, wind and rain, it was obviously used as a place of congregation. Josephus provides us with an evocative description:

The porticoes, all in double rows, were supported by columns five and twenty cubits high—each a single block of the purest white marble—and ceiled with panels of cedar. The natural magnificence of these columns, their excellent polish and fine adjustment presented a striking spectacle (War 5.190–192).

While Jesus was walking in the Porch of Solomon, the eastern portico of the Temple Mount, he was asked if he was the Messiah. Despite the works that God had given Jesus to do, he was met with unbelief and was almost stoned to death one wintry day during the feast of Hanukkah (John 10.31). Acts 3.11 and 5.12 also provide us with images of the time when the disciples used to congregate and teach here after the death of their master. Peter and James healed the man who was lame at the Beautiful Gate after which he went to Solomon’s Porch.

Sadly, anti-semitism is still with us today. However, we are waiting for a new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells (2 Peter 3:13). Soon Christmas will be celebrated and we remember that the angel Gabriel said to Mary that her son Jesus shall be great and shall be called the Son of the highest and the Lord God will give him the throne of his father David .. and of his kingdom there shall be no end (Luke 1:32,33).

Daniel Smith is a scriptural history enthusiast whose dream in life is to help visually teach others about the scriptures. He started producing videos on YouTube because he saw so little content that was visually engaging, educational, and uplifting. His YouTube channel called Messages of Christ now has 63 million views and 500k subscribers. It has been a pleasure to have worked with him on several projects.

This time of the year, many people celebrate Passover/Pesach/Easter in remembrance of the Passover meal that Jesus held with his disciples before going to Gethsemane where he was betrayed by Judas and arrested by the Temple guards.

As Daniel explains in this video, it is most likely that Jesus and his disciples stayed overnight in this cave and he draws parallels between the processes of producing olive oil and the suffering of Christ.

Gethsemane is usually associated with the garden next to the Church of All Nations at the foot of the Mount of Olives which has many ancient olive trees. However, a few decades ago a cave was discovered next to the Church of the Virgin Mary that originally held an olive press. After excavations were completed, this site has been developed as a chapel.

Apart from the suffering of Christ, it is possible to make a connection with a prior event that took place here. There may be an interesting parallel with what happened to David when he fled from Absalom.

We read in 2 Sam 15:23 that after leaving Jerusalem, David crossed the Kidron Valley and would have passed by the place that was later called the Garden of Gethsemane. It is interesting that David said in 2 Sam 15:26, “Let [the LORD] do to me what seems good to Him”. And despite the difficult situation he found himself in, he put his trust in the LORD. In his extremity Jesus said something similar, “not my will but Thine be done”.

On his return to Jerusalem, David said to Abishai in 2Sam. 19:22, “… do not I know that I am this day king over Israel?” This occasion was the second time that David came to Jerusalem as king. Reading these words must would been a powerful comfort to Jesus, and indeed also for us as we similarly await his return.

This is a question that is frequently asked at this time of the year. We are told that after his crucifixion on Golgotha, the body of Jesus was laid in a new tomb, but he was raised from the dead three days later.

The resurrection of Christ was an important event that gives hope to many Christian believers, including ourselves. 

However, from an archaeological point of view, I am interested to know how the tomb of Jesus was sealed. We know the story as recorded in the Gospels:

Matt. 27:62-66 On the next day, which followed the Day of Preparation, the chief priests and Pharisees gathered together to Pilate, saying, “Sir, we remember, while He was still alive, how that deceiver said, ‘After three days I will rise.’ Therefore command that the tomb be made secure until the third day, lest His disciples come by night and steal Him away, and say to the people, “He has risen from the dead.’ So, the last deception will be worse than the first.” Pilate said to them, “You have a guard; go your way, make it as secure as you know how.” So, they went and made the tomb secure, sealing the stone and setting the guard. (NKJV)

There are images on the internet that show ropes around the rolling stone or metal bars, but nothing would be strong enough to prevent such a large and heavy stone from being moved by a few strong men.

As I was researching this topic, I came across an image that shows the seal securing the entrance to a shrine of gilded wood that belonged to the Egyptian Pharaoh Tutankhamun. The handles of the two doors were secured together by a rope and a seal.

On the right handle was a clay seal featuring Anubis , the Egyptian god of funerary rites and protector of the gates to the underworld. 

Again, such a piece of rope would not have prevented anybody from entering the tomb chamber. After more than three millennia, the seal was finally broken by Egyptologist Howard Carter in the early 1920’s.

The important thing about this sealing rope is not the rope itself, but the clay seal that is attached to the door handle on the right. This shows the authority of the person who had ordered the sealing, and anybody trying to break that seal would be accountable and suffer the consequences.

The tomb of Jesus was sealed on the authority of the High Priest which was either Annas or Caiaphas. The tomb was sealed using two patches of wax connected with a piece of rope. People knew that anybody breaking that seal would be held accountable to the High Priest.  From a factual point of view, the string was ineffective, but the authority of the High Priest would have been respected. However, angels are not subject to this authority. Their only desire is to do the will of God. The earthquake that is described in Matthew 28:2 was brought about by the angel of the Lord who had descended from heaven. He would have been the one who broke the seal and rolled back the stone from the door.

At the same time Jesus was raised from the dead in fulfilment of Psalm 16:10-11:

“For You will not leave my soul in the grave, nor will You allow Your Holy One to see corruption. You will show me the path of life; in Your presence is fullness of joy; at Your right hand are pleasures forevermore.”

Jesus never sinned during his life on earth and was rewarded with immortality. Let us then follow Christ who suffered for us, leaving us an example, that we should follow His steps.

The Pool of Siloam is best known from the New Testament where Jesus sent the blind man to wash and be healed (John 9:7-11). In the Hebrew Bible this pool is mentioned as the “waters of Shiloah that flow softly” (Isaiah 8:6). The waters originated from the Gihon Spring, but that was apparently forgotten in the 1st century as Josephus calls this pool a fountain. In the last couple of decades it was thought that the Pool of Siloam was the stepped pool that has become a major tourist attraction in Jerusalem.

However, my friend Dr. David E. Graves alerted me to a recent article by Nathan Steinmeyer in Biblical Archaeological Society’s Bible History Daily called “Rethinking the Pool of Siloam.” 

“Where is the Pool of Siloam? If you visit the City of David Archaeological Park in Jerusalem, you would easily think it is the large pool formerly known as Birkat el-Hamra, that has been excavated since 2004 near the southern end of the ridge. However, Israel Antiquities Authority archaeologist Nahshon Szanton believes this identification is almost certainly incorrect. Publishing in the journal ‘Atiqot, Szanton instead identifies the true Pool of Siloam with the more traditional Pool of Silwan, which is located only a few hundred feet to the north of Birkat el-Ḥamra.”

Szanton suggests that the square colonnaded pool that was excavated by Bliss and Dickie in 1896, should be identified as the Pool of Siloam mentioned by Josephus in War 5.140 as the “fountain of sweet and abundant water”, and that the water reservoir was Solomon’s Pool mentioned by Josephus in War 5.145.

In the context of my work at the Temple Mount Excavations, I visited the Pool of Siloam many times and studied the plans made by Bliss and Dickie, and those of Charles Warren. One of the ancient walls of this pool is still visible today.

We have argued for a long time that the excavated remains of a square colonnaded pool discovered by Bliss and Dickie in 1896 had a ritual function, and that the stepped pool was a water reservoir. The Pool of Siloam was built near the exit of Hezekiah’s Tunnel. This tunnel was dug at the time of King Hezekiah to bring water to the western side of the city. He also created a huge water reservoir by building a city wall at the end of the Tyropoeon or Central Valley that also funtioned as a dam. This, in turn, made it possible for the city to extend to the west. By building a city wall round the Western Hill and securing its water supply, it became possible for the city to more than double its size. 

Many mikvaot – Hebrew for ritual baths, mikveh in the singular, – have been excavated in Jerusalem and elsewhere in Israel. A mikveh usually takes the form of a stepped pool carved out of the rock with a small dividing wall built on the upper steps. The more elaborate mikvaot had double entrances. The purpose of this was to allow users of the mikveh to descend on one side and, after immersion, ascend on the other side, thus preventing contact with those who were not yet purified.

Although we had incorporated the excavated steps all along the three walls of Birkat el-Ḥamra in our reconstruction drawings, only the steps on the east (right in the drawing) have been excavated. Since last year the whole of the area at the lower end of the Tyropoeon Valley has been excavated, but none of the proposed steps on the west have been found.

The absence of steps on the west strengthens our idea of a water reservoir with steps on one side only. Other water reservoirs in Jerusalem, such as the Pools of Bethesda and the Pool of Israel could be accesses from one side only.

Strabo wrote that Jerusalem was a “city well-watered within, but desert outside” (Geography 16:2:40). The history of Jerusalem can be presented in many ways, but the most critical factor in understanding the development of the city is based on the capacity of the ancients to provide its inhabitants with water. Water was the central resource that shaped the fortunes of the city. Jerusalem began around the Gihon Spring, after which many new water systems were created throughout the ages in order to keep pace with the growing population of the city. 

I don’t agree with Nahshon Szanton that this water reservoir could have been used as a swimming pool. Swimming was more likely used as a method of crossing rivers for example rather than for recreational purposes.

The sanctity of the Pool of Siloam was recognised in the Byzantine period by the building of a church next to the pool. The same happened at the conclusion of the excavations by Bliss and Dickie when a mosque was built over it.

The construction of water reservoirs was necessary for making life in Jerusalem possible. No wonder that in Scripture, water is referred to as the water of life (Revelation 21:6; 22:1; 22:17).

Arnon Segal, a journalist-friend from Jerusalem, sent me a link to a most interesting article he wrote for the Makor Rishon newspaper (Hebrew).

“A Muslim acquaintance from abroad, a lover of Israel and a devout Zionist named M.A. [name withheld for obvious reasons], visited the Temple Mount in recent years and photographed up close a series of sites that are not accessible to Jews there, and the Gate of Mercy in particular [The Golden Gate is called  Sha’ar haRachamim, “The Gate of Mercy” in Hebrew]. He provided rare photos from there, including a sensational discovery that will be described below.”

Arnon and I met in Jerusalem, and he published articles about my work on the Temple Mount in this newspaper. In this present article he writes:

“The gate complex became a mosque almost five years ago, and since then changes have been made to it that pose a great danger to the antiquities located there. The Gate of Mercy, as it is called today, dates to the seventh century AD. However, researchers such as archaeologist Leen Ritmeyer are convinced that a gate has stood in this place since the days of the First Temple, in the seventh century BC, the days of Hezekiah. Ritmeyer suggests that the Mercy Gate is the gate known in the Mishnah as “the Shushan Gate”, through which the scapegoat went out into the desert, and from there the Red Heifer was taken to the Mount of Olives.”

The inscriptions that probably date back to the 9-11^th century prove that Jews went up to the Temple Mount on, what must have been for some, a once-in-a-lifetime pilgrimage. 

In the 19^th century, Félicien, or Félix de Saulcy, a French archaeologist, discovered an inscription in the underground Double Gate passageway. Jonah and Shavtia his wife, who had travelled from Sicily, wrote their names on the inside wall, with the addition of “strong in life”, meaning that they had prayed for a long life. Unfortunately, this inscription has recently almost been erased by a layer of new plaster. 

In 1908, a well-known Jewish researcher discovered another Hebrew inscription on the southern wall of the Golden Gate, mentioning Abraham son of Loles, followed by the same formula “I will be strong”. This phrase means “getting stronger” and shows that Jews went up to the Temple Mount to give thanks for recovery of an illness.

“Benjamin of Tudela, who visited the Holy Land in the 12th century, mentioned this custom in the underground structure of Solomon’s Stables in the south of the mountain: “And there in Jerusalem, by the house where Solomon had horse stables built… the Jews who come there write their names on the wall.” “All of these appeared in the researchers’ articles in the last 170 years. Photographs provided by M”A from the Gate of Mercy structure recently prove that there are other ancient Hebrew inscriptions in the place, which the archaeological research has not caught up with yet .” 

Photographs of the newly discovered inscriptions can be seen in the article, especially those written on the first column inside the gate.

“The archaeologist Tzachi Dvira believes that he was able, after seeing the photos taken at the site, to decipher some words from the inscriptions on the column. He reads there, among other things, the words “I have overcome”, and then a blurred word that may include the letters “for Bacher”. Next to these, the name “Reuben son of Machir” and the word “Degel- flag” were engraved on the column. Below them appears the name “Yosef (Joseph) son of …”, with his father’s name that is possibly Aryeh. It seems that another inscription appears beneath it in which the name “Yosef” is mentioned a second time, as well as other names, which are more difficult to identify.” 

The letters are written in the so-called square Hebrew script that has been in use for many centuries. Even a pupil at a modern Hebrew school can easily read them. However, as Jews were allowed on the Temple Mount during the Early Muslim period from 838-1099 AD, but not afterwards, it is assumed that these newly discovered inscriptions date from that period. 

Segal concludes his article with these words:

“So, in the heart of very sad days in our history, we received greetings from Jews who a thousand years ago went up to the Temple Mount freely. They engraved their names in the Gate of Mercy for eternal remembrance in the Temple of God.

“They roamed the place undisturbed, under the auspices of the very kind Muslim government of the 11th century, while we – the 21st century citizens of supposedly free Israel – are not allowed to go there.

“How did we come to terms with a reality where an address located in the heart of the free capital of Israel, not in Tehran or Baghdad, needs a Muslim to come here from abroad to reveal it to the world for the first time?”

In this video, Jim Scudder of InGrace ministry interviews me on the spiritual significance of the Temple Mount in Jerusalem, its history and future.

One correction, the quote about the Middle Gate is in Jeremiah 39:3.

The New Testament (Acts 3.2,10) records a notable miracle that was performed at the Beautiful Gate of the Temple. This was the gate where a man who had been lame from birth was begging. When Peter and John saw him, they told him that they did not possess any gold or silver or worldly riches. Instead, they healed him in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth.  He then “went with them into the temple courts, walking and jumping, and praising God” (Acts 3.8). What a joyful occasion that must have been and one that was witnessed by many people. Jesus had healed blind and lame people before (Matthew 21.14), but now his disciples could perform similar miracles.

The time at which the miracle was performed was very significant. It was the ninth hour – the hour of prayer during which the evening sacrifice was offered in the Temple (Exodus 29.41).

David had composed a special psalm for this hour (Psalm 141.2). Jesus died on the cross at that very same hour (Matthew 27:46). Elijah’s sacrifice was also offered at the time of the evening sacrifice (1 Kings 18.29). At this time also, the angel Gabriel was sent to Daniel to answer his prayer (Daniel 9.21). The angel that came to Cornelius came at this time (Acts 10.3). God answers faithful prayers, but there appears to be a special time at which certain prayers are answered.

The miracle took place at the Beautiful Gate, but the question is, which gate is the Scripture referring to and how can it be identified? There were at least seven gates in the outer walls of Herod’s Temple Mount, but only in one of these gates have decorations been found.

In a previous post we wrote that some scholars have proposed that the Nicanor Gate or the Shushan Gate were the best candidates for the Beautiful Gate. However, we have argued that neither of these gates would have been suitable places for a lame man to beg.

A more likely location would have been the Double Gate in the Southern Wall of the Temple Mount, which I have described in my book The Quest, Revealing the Temple Mount in Jerusalem, 67-74.  

The ceiling inside the double passageway has beautifully carved domes, which have survived up to today. In 1973, I received permission from the Muslim authorities to survey these domes. At the time, scaffolding was erected beneath the southwest dome, so that we could touch and measure it. That was an unforgettable experience. The domes were photographed under my direction, and I planned and set up the drawings, which were completed in pencil by Nili Cohen and in ink by my late sister Martha. 

Most of the worshipers went up to the Temple Courts through this gate, which was certainly worthy of the appellation “beautiful”. It also allowed for effective begging practices, as suggested on p. 74 of the above-mentioned book. According to Mishnah Middot 2.2, “whosoever it was that entered the Temple Mount came in on the right and went round and came out on the left, save any whom aught befell, for he went round to the left.”

Two of the west domes are beautifully decorated with carved floral and geometric designs interwoven in intricate patterns. 

We had suggested (The Quest, p.74) that these two eastern domes may have fallen during the original construction or because of an earthquake. They were rebuilt during the same Herodian period but were left undecorated.

Nevertheless, it was indeed a gate with beautifully decorated domes that have survived the Roman destruction and are still there until this day. We suggest then that Peter and John healed the lame man at the Double Gate and from there he went “walking and jumping” to the Temple as far as Solomon’s Porch.