Garo Nalbandian

Glistening stone pavement under the Sisters of Zion Convent in Jerusalem was long believed to be the famous “Lithostrotos,” the paved courtyard where Pontius Pilate condemned Jesus (John 19:13). Worn smooth over almost 2,000 years by hooves and feet, the pavement is now dated to after the time of Jesus. Grooved to prevent wagon-wheel slippage (see close-up photograph), the impressive roadway was probably laid by the Roman emperor Hadrian after 135 A.D.