It’s rare to stand in the midst of a former ancient civilization in the U.S., though they do exist. The oldest things I’ve seen in America are the 3,200-year-old President Tree in California’s Sequoia National Park, and 4,000-year-old petroglyphs in Nevada’s Valley of Fire State Park.
Standing on the Pilgrimage Road, in Jerusalem, we were on the very stone path that Jewish pilgrims gathered from distant lands during the Second Temple era. Reuniting with family and friends, they prepared spiritually to enter the holiest place in their world.
Roman armies destroyed Jerusalem and burned the temple in 70 CE. Huge building stones fell onto the street, burying the pavement under thick layers of debris. Over centuries, new buildings were built directly on top of old ruins.
The main thoroughfare was uncovered after years of archaeological excavation and is considered one of the most significant archaeological discoveries in Israel. It recently opened to the public and we were among the first to tour it.
How they unearthed this third-of-a-mile path is wild. The walkway runs directly under a neighborhood. Archaeologists couldn’t dig trenches from the surface because it would destroy homes and streets. They invented a horizontal tunneling method, digging underground like miners instead of digging straight down.
It’s surreal to walk along this ancient route in an excavated subterranean tunnel while around you is a modern massive steel frame holding up the neighborhood on top.
The tour guide brought that time period to life, describing the excitement of the Jews meeting up with family and friends, dipping in ritual baths to prepare, and making their way along this busy path to the holy Temple entrance. I could hear echoes of that time, their voices, joy, anticipation and connection to one another, and to this important place. These were people like us joining loved ones in a meaningful moment of worship, celebration and community.
And, here we were, 2,000 years later, still making our way to Jerusalem, like our ancestors.
Far right are what’s left of the stairs and arched entrance to the Second Temple in Jerusalem that you can see on the new Pilgrimage Tour.
What’s left of the back of the Second Temple, Jerusalem, Israel, that you can see on the new Pilgrimage Tour
