Countryside Caves

COURTESY BOAZ ZISSU

Beyond the Kidron Valley, more than a dozen monumental tombs from the Second Temple period have been discovered in and around Jerusalem. Several tombs cluster along one of the main northern roads into the city that primarily served pilgrims coming from the northern hill country, Samaria, and the Galilee.^a

The most impressive monument along this route is known as the Tombs of the Sanhedrin. This elaborate first-century CE burial complex was carved into the cliff face of a large stone quarry. Its name derives not from any historical connection to the Sanhedrin (the ancient Jewish high court), but rather from medieval Jewish tradition reflecting the site’s grandeur and large number of burial niches. The tomb’s unusually large courtyard, which measures more than 900 square feet, is enclosed by high rock-cut walls with stone benches running along their entire lengths. On the eastern side of the courtyard rises a monumental rock-cut façade. It is framed by carved stonework and crowned with a pediment decorated with acanthus and grape-leaf motifs and ornamental sculptures. A wide doorway leads into an antechamber, which then gives access to a smaller interior opening that descends into the main burial chamber.

© MADAIN PROJECT

The main chamber features two burial chambers in its rear wall and two more in the southern wall, whereas the northern wall contains two tiers of rock-cut niches set within arched recesses. Altogether, 51 burial niches were hewn into the tomb’s inner chambers, along with several additional recesses for the collection of bones and ossuaries.

Other notable examples include the Tomb of the Grapes (named after the carved grape clusters that adorn its façade), the so-called Tomb of the Frieze (unfortunately no longer accessible), and a recently discovered burial complex in the Tel Arza neighborhood that features a decorated façade similar in style to the Tombs of the Sanhedrin. Perhaps the most famous, however, is the Tomb of the Kings, located a few hundred feet north of the Damascus Gate and commonly identified as the burial place of Queen Helena of Adiabene.^b

Like the Kidron Valley, the concentration of monumental tombs along this northern approach to Jerusalem was not coincidental. The presence of several ritual baths (miqva’ot) and large cisterns along this route indicates it was an active pilgrimage road during the Second Temple period.