Jewish Quarter

Jewish Quarter Plaza

The southeast corner of the Old City, the Jewish Quarter occupies about 15 acres and has been inhabited by Jews for centuries.  Following the capture of the Old City by the Arabs in 1948, all Jews were expelled and their buildings destroyed.  When Israel regained the Old City in 1967 work began to reconstruct the quarter and today hundreds of people live and study here.

Hurvah Synagogue

The most prominent synagogue in the Old City was the Hurvah Synagogue until it was blown up by the Jordanians in the 1948 War of Independence.  Because of disagreements the Israelis did not rebuild the synagogue in 1967, instead re-erecting one of the arches in memory of the house of prayer.  Underneath this arch is the modern Ramban synagogue.

The Broad Wall

Reconstruction work following the 1967 war allowed archaeologists to excavate various areas in the Jewish Quarter.  One of the most significant finds from the OT period was the Broad Wall.  Built by Hezekiah in the days before the 701 B.C. invasion by the Assyrian king Sennacherib, the Broad Wall enclosed the Western Hill and increased the walled area of Jerusalem five-fold.

Jewish Ritual Bath

Numerous mikvot were discovered in the excavations of the Jewish Quarter, attesting to the importance of ritual purity for Jews in the first century A.D.  Larger mikvot were often divided by a low wall or column to separate those entering the bath from those exiting.  Construction and use of these baths was governed by strict Jewish laws.  

Golden Menorah

Constructed by the Temple Institute and based on extensive research, this golden menorah is appropriate for use in the Third Temple.  Over two meters in height and plated with 43 kg (95 lbs) of gold, this menorah is the first such constructed since the destruction of the Temple.  This menorah is on display in the Jewish Quarter. 

Related Websites

See the BiblePlaces' Cardo, for a related page of pictures, text and links.

Jewish Quarter, General

Jewish Quarter Jerusalem (myrova.com) Website created by inhabitants of this area, with extensive explanations of the ancient sites and modern activities.  A good site to start with for learning about the Jewish Quarter.

The Old City, Jewish Quarter (Frommer's)  Describes the history and main sites of the Jewish Quarter, including hours of operation and prices at the time of publication.

The Jewish Quarter (Virtual Israel Experience)  Highlights the main features of the newest quarter in the Old City with links to related topics, especially historical.

The Jewish Quarter (Agency for Jewish Education)  Includes brief descriptions of modern historical background and location.

Jewish Quarter Museums of the Second Temple Period (Lehrhaus Judaica)  Prepared by an adult school for Jewish studies, this site highlights important features of second temple period history by examining museums in the Jewish Quarter dedicated to this period.

1939 - Jewish Quarter in the Old City (Jerusalem Archives)  Features an excellent photograph of the two main synagogues in the Old City prior to destruction.  Historical commentary reveals the current issues of the time.

Hezekiah's (Broad) Wall

The Growth of Judean Jerusalem (Israel MFA)  Places Hezekiah's Wall into an urban growth context.  A classic diagram comparing the size of Jerusalem in various periods is included for reference.

The Broad Wall (The New Jerusalem Mosaic, Hebrew University)  A brief description of the wall and the circumstances surrounding its construction.  Copy of this page at Jewish Virtual Library.

Hezekiah's (Broad) Wall (Dig the Bible)  Presents this wall in the historical context of Sennacherib's attack on Hezekiah's kingdom, bringing Hezekiah's Tunnel and the siege at Lachish into the picture.

Broad Wall (Furman University)  Displays a great photo of the wall before reconstruction of the Jewish Quarter.

Jerusalem (Walking in Their Sandals)  Singles out photos of Hezekiah's Wall from the Jerusalem photos section, including the measuring device on site, which indicates the original height of the wall.

The Broad Wall (The Spurgeon Archive)  Spurgeon's sermon on the text of Nehemiah 3:8.  With the utmost respect for the "prince of preachers," we must conclude that this particular sermon is a good example of how not to preach from the Old Testament.