31°47′N, 35°14′E · The hill country of Judea
Historical Overview
Jerusalem was the center of the Jewish world. The Temple stood on the platform that Herod the Great had expanded beginning around 20 BC — a platform of roughly thirty-six acres, supported by massive retaining walls, of which the Western Wall is the most famous surviving fragment. The Temple itself was the only place where sacrifice could be offered, and the city swelled at the major festivals to perhaps one hundred thousand people or more.
Jerusalem was also under Roman control. The prefect governed from Caesarea Maritima on the coast, but he came up to Jerusalem during the festivals to keep order, and the Roman garrison at the Antonia Fortress overlooked the Temple courts.
What the Archaeology Shows
Jerusalem has been excavated more extensively than any other city in the region. The Temple Mount itself has never been systematically excavated because of its political sensitivity, but the surrounding walls and the Herodian-era city have been studied extensively.
Excavations in the 1970s in the Jewish Quarter, led by Nahman Avigad, revealed the wealthy Herodian homes of the upper city, including the “Burnt House” destroyed in 70 AD. Excavations along the Western Wall have revealed the massive ashlars and the streets that ran along the Temple platform.
The traditional sites of the upper room (Cenacle on Mount Zion), Gethsemane (the garden at the foot of the Mount of Olives), and the crucifixion and burial (Church of the Holy Sepulchre) are all within walking distance of one another and are consistent with the Gospel accounts. The Garden Tomb, an alternative site proposed in the 19th century, has no archaeological confirmation and lies outside the Herodian city wall.
What Happened Here
Jerusalem is where the story of the Gospel ends and the story of the church begins. The last week of Jesus’ life unfolded within the walls of the city. He was tried by the Sanhedrin, condemned by Pilate, crucified outside the wall, and buried in a rock-cut tomb belonging to Joseph of Arimathea.
It is also where the first Christian community formed. The upper room is where the disciples gathered after the crucifixion. It is where they were gathered when the Spirit descended at Pentecost. It is where the first deacons were appointed, where Stephen was stoned, where James son of Zebedee was executed, and where James the brother of Jesus led the church for thirty years.
