Jerusalem
Model of Jerusalem
Model of Jerusalem in the time of Jesus Christ, with the Temple, Fortress of Antonia, Sheep Gate, Pools of Bethesda, Pool of Siloam.Temple
The Jewish Temple in Jerusalem during the time of Jesus was built by King Herod, beginning between 20-18 BCE. The Temple was a major cultural, religious, and political center of the Jewish people. It was located on the Temple Mount, a large platform of stone that covered an area of about 36 acres.
The Temple was made up of various components. This included the Courtyard of the Gentiles, the Women's Courtyard, the Court of Israel, and the Holy of Holies, which housed the Ark of the Covenant. The Ark had been lost to invaders by the time of Jesus. The Temple was also the location for sacrifices and offerings to God.
During Jesus' time, the Temple was a bustling religious center, and Jews and pilgrims from all over the world traveled to Jerusalem to worship there. The Temple was where Jesus overturned the tables of the money-changers and the dove-sellers. It was also where he encountered the teachers of the law and had several notable debates with them.
Sacred city
Jerusalem itself was a city of great significance and sacredness to the Jewish people. The city was first established as the capital of Israel by King David and was the site of the First Temple, which was destroyed by the Babylonians in 587 BCE. After the Jews returned from Babylonian exile, they rebuilt the Temple and the city.
During Jesus' time, Jerusalem was under Roman rule and was a bustling cosmopolitan city. It was home to several parties and sects, including the Pharisees, Sadducees, Essenes, and Zealots. The city was also an important trading hub, with traders and merchants coming from all over the Roman Empire to do business there.
Tense town
Despite its importance and significance, Jerusalem was also a city that experienced conflict and tension during the time of Jesus. The Jewish people longed for independence and freedom from Roman rule, and there were several revolts that took place both during and after Jesus' lifetime.
So, the Jewish Temple and Jerusalem in the time of Jesus were central to Jewish culture, religion, and politics. The Temple was a significant religious center, and Jerusalem was a bustling city that was at the heart of many historical events. Together, these two places provide important context and insights into the life and teachings of Jesus.
Nehemiah rebuilds walls of Jerusalem
Nehemiah rebuilds walls of Jerusalem
Nehemiah rebuilt walls, gates of Jerusalem
Nehemiah is one odd story. He’s a Jew serving wine to a Persian king in what is now Iran. Who saw that coming? The king, Artaxerxes, trusts this Jewish man with his life. How did Nehemiah get there? Likely he was the descendant of Jews taken captive to Babylon (Iraq) about 150 years earlier, when Babylon leveled Jerusalem and other cities and took the Jews captive. About 50 years later, Persia (Iran) defeated Babylon and freed the Jews and other captives to go home. But many Jews stayed because they grew up in exile. Iraq and Iran was the only homeland they knew. Yet, many returned to the land of their ancestors to rebuild Jerusalem and the other cities. Nehemiah gets word that Jerusalem’s walls are still broken down and the city gates are gone. It’s a city undefended. He can’t believe it. By this time, Jews have had about 90 years to fix those walls.Winetaster becomes city builder
So, Nehemiah talks the king into giving him a 12-year leave of absence so he can repair the walls. It certainly seems odd that the king would grant his winetaster’s Big Ask. Yet the king also agrees to give him the wood for the job, sends him with a detachment of soldiers as an escort, and then appoints him governor over the Jewish province of Judah. That’s what the southern Jewish nation of Judah had become, a Persian province ruled by a Persian king who even chose the songs Jews could sing at the Temple (Nehemiah 11:23). Earlier, when Babylon exiled Jews from their homeland, settlers moved in. They hated the idea of Jews returning to power because it meant the Jews would try to take back the land and get rid of everyone else. Nehemiah had 12 years to fix the walls. It took him 52 days. Nehemiah rallied Jerusalem-area Jews to join the work. They felt the clock sands slipping away while their neighbors plotted to stop the work. Murdering Nehemiah seems to have been one plan on the table. Attacking the work crew was another. Jewish construction workers carried their weapons on the job in daylight, guarded the walls all night, and didn’t get much sleep during those 52 days and nights. Nehemiah spent the rest of his 12-year leave reminding the people what it meant to be Jewish. They studied the Laws of Moses that we read today as the first five books in the Bible.JERUSALEM’S WALL BUILDERS: ROLL CREDITS
NEHEMIAH’S MOTLEY CONSTRUCTION CREW
Nehemiah 3 1Teams of people worked together repairing different parts of Jerusalem’s damaged wall and destroyed gates. SHEEP GATE. Elisheba the high priest worked alongside other priests to rebuild the Sheep Gate. Then they built the doors, set them in place, and dedicated the entire area to God. They did this all the way from the Tower of the Hundred to the Tower of the Hananel. 2WALL. Jericho men worked on the wall beside the gate. Zaccur son of Imri worked just beyond them. 3FISH GATE. Hassenaah’s sons built the Fish Gate. They set in the door and placed the beams, bolts, and bars. 4WALL. Meremoth worked beside them on wall repairs. He was the son of Uriah and grandson of Hakkoz. 5WALL. People from the village of Tekoa made repairs. But their noble leaders wouldn’t stoop to manual labor—even for the Lord. It was beneath them.More
Jerusalem walls, gates in time of Nehemiah
