Wohl Archaeological Museum and Burnt House, Jerusalem
Located under a modern Jewish seminary in the Jewish Quarter, the Wohl Archaeological Museum contains remains of Jewish dwellings from the era of Herod the Great (37-4 BC).
In the time of Herod, the area of the modern-day Jewish Quarter was was part of a luxurious "Upper City," occupied primarily by the families of important Jewish Temple priests. Excavations after the 1967 war exposed the remains of several mansions dating to this period.
This rediscovered Herodian quarter now lies from 3 to 7 meters below street level, preserved in the Wohl Archaeological Museum.
On display are geometrically patterned mosaic floors, colorful frescoes, and costly glassware, stone objects, and ceramics that provide a peek into domestic life at the top in the days of Herod and Jesus.
In the first part of the museum, called the Western House, several small stone cisterns have been identified as private mikveh, Jewish ritual baths; holograms depict their use. A small ascending staircase ends abruptly, a reminder that nothing above ground level survived the Roman devastation of AD 70.
Next is the Middle Complex, the remains of two separate houses where archaeologists discovered a maze-pattern mosaic floor covered in burnt wood. This is believed to be fire damage from the Roman attack on Jerusalem.
The largest and most complete of the Herodian houses is the Palatial Mansion, which also has signs of fire damage as well as mosaic floors and ritual baths.
Admission to the Wohl also grants admission to the nearby Burnt House, dating to the same period. A stone weight found among the debris reads "son of Kathos," indicating the house belonged to a wealthy family of high priests. The family is mentioned in the Babylonian Talmud, written between the 3rd and 6th centuries AD. The rooms here are introduced by a slide show and indlude a kitchen, four bedrooms, and a bathroom with a ritual bath.
Visitor Information for the Wohl Archaeological Museum
| Address: | 1 Hakara'im St., Jewish Quarter, Jerusalem, Israel |
| Phone: | 02/628-3448 |
| Hours: | Sun.-Thurs. 9-4:30, Fri. and Jewish holiday eves 9:30-12:30. |
| Cost: | Combined ticket with Burnt House NIS 19 ($4.75); Herodian Quarter only NIS 15 ($3.75). |
| Photos: | Prohibited. |
Sources: Fodor's Israel and Eyewitness Travel Guide to Jerusalem and the Holy Land.
