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Tel Aviv

Journal of the Institute of Archaeology of Tel Aviv University

Volume 46, 2019 - Issue 2

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Articles

Pontius Pilate in Jerusalem: The Monumental Street from the Siloam Pool to the Temple Mount

 
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For over a century and a half, excavations in Jerusalem have been uncovering segments of the city’s Early Roman period network of streets, particularly the street that wended its way from the southernmost gate of the city, alongside the Siloam Pool and towards the Temple Mount. The importance of this street is evident from its dimensions as well as from the quality of its construction, which undoubtedly required an expansive workforce that included skilled labourers and craftsmen. Based on archaeological and historical data, the creation of the street has variously been attributed to some time in the Herodian period, to the reign of Herod and to the days of Herod Agrippa II. Here, based on numismatic evidence, we propose a more precise timeframe. We suggest that the street was constructed in the 1st century CE, in the middle of the first period of direct Roman rule, specifically during Pontius Pilate’s tenure as governor of the newly named province of Judea. We bolster this claim with a discussion of Pilate’s mandate and goals as provincial governor.

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Acknowledgments

The excavations discussed here were undertaken along the course of the Tyropoeon Valley, within the confines of the City of David National Park. The excavations were conducted by the authors, on behalf of the Israel Antiquities Authority, and funded by the Elaʿd Foundation. We would like to thank the many people who assisted in the excavations, including A. Levy, A. Nagar, A. Zilberstein, S. Tal, N. Rom, M. Shor, M. Haber, A. Kessler, O. Amichai, O. Bejerano, O. Chalaf, T. Sadiel, H. Ripps, R. Pfuester, K. Palmberger, B. Soiblman (area supervisors), V. Essman, Y. Shmidov, O. Rose, A. Wiegmann (surveying and plans), N. Mizrahi, G. Berkovitz, A. Ajami, S. Rappaport and Y. Carmeli (foremen), A. Peretz, A. Fadidah, C. Amit and S. Halevy (photography), D. Tanami (metal detecting) and L. Kupershmidt (metals laboratory), as well as the Jerusalem district of the IAA for giving us the opportunity to take part in this important endeavour.

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