Last night I went into the Old City with my Jerusalem Archaeology class. After checking into our hotel, we spent some time at the Western Wall, including an interesting conversation (maybe more on that later). This morning I went out to look around a bit before our trip started at 8. We spent most of our time in the City of David, including Central Valley excavations, new City of David overlook, Area G, Kenyon’s Trench A, Warren’s Shaft and related structures, Reich’s Area J, Shiloh’s Areas E, D, and B, Weill’s T1-9, and the Pool of Siloam. A few observations on recent or ongoing “movements” in Jerusalem.
1. There is a lot of work going on in the City of David. Besides the Pool of Siloam project (see #2 below), there were a lot of people excavating above Area G (in the area of the new “park”/entrance). These was all closed off, so getting a look inside was difficult, but there appeared to be several dozen digging in numerous squares. I would guess this was part of a school dig. Then there were another dozen or so moving dirt away from the site (down a chute in Area G to waiting tractor beds).
2. The Pool of Siloam area looks quite different than when I was last there (a month ago?). The road that ran between the escarpment and the excavation has now been largely removed and the drainage pipe moved. Now that pipe is located directly next to the escarpment above the area where the Gihon/Siloam water drains to the Kidron. The recently excavated steps are now completely covered by dirt moved in the process. This really isn’t a surprise, as the moving of the road/drain would hardly allow the steps to remain in view. I expect that once the moving of the drain pipe is finished, they’ll again uncover all of the steps, this time without a road running through them. I’ll be there in a couple of weeks with our students helping them; perhaps that will be part of our assignment.
3. There is no sign of any start to the plan to remove the ramp leading to the Mughrabi Gate of the Temple Mount, just south of the Western Wall. Construction does continue on the wall on the north side of the prayer plaza.
4. Workers were in action making repairs on the bulge on the southern wall of the Temple Mount. I didn’t get around to the eastern wall to see if anyone was present there.
I often tell my students that there is always more to see and do in Jerusalem. I often prove that to myself, as I did today. For the first time, that I can remember anyway, I was in the Armenian Church of St. James. It was early Sunday morning and a service was going on, so I could not take many photos, but it was interesting to observe. That’s a rather important church in the city, and it’s somewhat embarassing that I have not yet been inside. In my defense, I’ll just note that there are a lot of things to see and do in Jerusalem. And a lot of the time that I am there, my schedule is dictated by others. And when I finish, I am often quite tired. Good day today. And I’m quite tired.
