On the Hasmonean and Herodian Town-Plan of Jerusalem / לתכנית ירושלים בימי החשמונאים ובית הורדוס

The town-plan of Jerusalem in the Second Temple period was set forth in the 1950s in two models designed by Vincent and by Avi-Yonah, respectively, and these still largely influence scholars dealing wih this subject. Excavations in Jerusalem from the 1960s on — notably those of Kenyon, Mazar and Avigad — have challenged both models and have raised new theories, some of which are dealt with here. Concerning the Hasmonean city wall enclosing the "Upper City", Kenyon and Tushingham held that it did not cross the Tyropoeon Valley, but this is now refuted on military and archaeological grounds. Basing on the Hellenistic defence systems, the author suggests the existence of main city gates at the crossing point of the Tyropoeon Valley and the Gennath Valley. Herodian town-planning in Jerusalem had to take into account the tens of thousands of pilgrims camping outside the city at the time of the three major Jewish feasts, the extreme expansion of the built-up area during Hasmonean times, and the defence of a city spreading over hilly terrain. The solutions of Herod's architects were innovative, monumental and multi-functional, as is demonstrated through a discussion of the location of the water reservoirs. The three pilgrims' camping grounds mentioned by Josephus were (a) to the north of Antonia, (b) south of the city in the hippodrome area, and (c) northwest of the city, close to Herod's palace (Wars II, 44; IV, 269). Three open reservoirs were thus built adjacent to the three camps: Birket Israin, Hezekiah's Pool and Birket el-Hamra. These pools not only served the pilgrims but also formed part of the city's defence system as moats at vulnerable spots. The pedestrian traffic of the multitudes of pilgrims flowing through the city to and from the Temple Mount was accomodated by monumental avenues along two main arteries. The "Tyropoeon Avenue", partly uncovered by Bliss and Dickie, Hamilton, Johns and Mazar, followed the valley bed and diverged from any rigid, orthogonal plan. This street connected the pilgrim camps north and south of the city with the Temple. A second, perpendicular avenue is conjectured by the author along the "cross valley" (along modern Tarik Bab el-Silsile). This "Cross Avenue" similarly connected the pilgrim camp northwest of the city with the Temple Mount across "Wilson's Arch". At the intersection of these two avenues, the Xistos mentioned by Josephus (Wars II, 244) was to be found, and thus could be regarded as a sort of "forum". Herod's