Herod The Great Did Not Finish The Temple

[Minimalist]

Interesting find. Roman coins issued by Valerius Gratus under the Western Wall.

http://apnews.excite.com/article/2011112...IBFG3.html

JERUSALEM (AP) - Newly found coins underneath Jerusalem's Western Wall could change the accepted belief about the construction of one of the world's most sacred sites two millennia ago, Israeli archaeologists said Wednesday.

The man usually credited with building the compound known to Jews as the Temple Mount and to Muslims as the Noble Sanctuary is Herod, a Jewish ruler who died in 4 B.C. Herod's monumental compound replaced and expanded a much older Jewish temple complex on the same site.

But archaeologists with the Israel Antiquities Authority now say diggers have found coins underneath the massive foundation stones of the compound's Western Wall that were stamped by a Roman proconsul 20 years after Herod's death. That indicates that Herod did not build the wall - part of which is venerated as Judaism's holiest prayer site - and that construction was not close to being complete when he died.

"The find changes the way we see the construction, and shows it lasted for longer than we originally thought," said the dig's co-director, Eli Shukron.

The four bronze coins were stamped around 17 A.D. by the Roman official Valerius Gratus.

Confirms a report by Josephus.


Gratus was Prefect of Judaea, though. He was not a "proconsul."

[Justtristo]

I have been wondering after reading an article on jesusneverexisted.com whether or not the second jewish temple was really that big as Josephus states it was.

For example the Arch of Constantine was 21 m high, 25.9 m wide and 7.4 m deep. While the porch of the second temple was estimated by Josephus to be at least 45.8 meters high.

[The Grand Nudger]

Everything's bigger in Tex...er, Jerusalem.

[IATIA]

Everything's bigger in Tex...er, Jerusalem.

Hey, don't be fuckin' with Texas or we will make sure Perry gets into office and you remember what happened last time we put some one in the oval office. hock:

[Minimalist]

While the porch of the second temple was estimated by Josephus to be at least 45.8 meters high.

Some of Herod's building projects which do survive, are indicative of engineering on a monumental scale. Fortunately Josephus was a member of the priestly class at a time before the temple was destroyed.
He is one of those "eye-witnesses" that the xtians wish they had. Unlike the supposed eye-witnesses to jesus and his magic tricks, Josephus really did see the temple in all its glory. Without evidence that he was lying we are more or less stuck with his commentary.

[Faith No More]

Hey, don't be fuckin' with Texas or we will make sure Perry gets into office and you remember what happened last time we put some one in the oval office. hock:

You do that and I'll find my Texas relatives to make you disappear.

[Autumnlicious]

Can you do that to all of Texas?

[downbeatplumb]

Can you do that to all of Texas?

They should've let the mexicans keep it.

[Minimalist]

Why did the Mexicans fight so hard for the Alamo?




Four clean walls to write on.

[downbeatplumb]

The most interesting thing I know about the alamo is that ozzy osborne pissed on it.

While on tour in the US in the early 80s, Black Sabbath's frontman, Ozzy Osbourne, found himself with a full bladder and nowhere near a lavatory. Relieving himself against a nearby building, he was arrested by an irate cop, who told him he had been urinating on The Alamo, the icon of Texan independence. "Son, when you p**s on The Alamo, you p**s on the state of Texas," he was apparently told.