Excavations on the Site of Jerusalem International Convention Center (Binyanei Ha'uma): The Pottery and Other Small Finds

Benny Arubas (Editor), Haim Goldfus (Editor)

Research output: Book/ReportBookpeer-review

Abstract

The 1992 excavations at the site (map ref. 1693/1326; fig. 1 on p. 6) had been preceded by two excavations directed in 1949 and 1968 by M. Avi-Yonah. The 1949 excavation is known by the Arabic name, Sheikh Badr. The 1968 excavation, conducted adjacent to the 1949 work, was known by Giv'at Ram, the new name given to the whole area after 1949. The ancient site is not yet firmly identified with any name found in the ancient sources, but we may tentatively suggest that it might be Iasonis pagus (the village of Jason), rather than Deir Yasin (which is now the modern neighbourhood of Giv'at Shaul, c. 1 km to the west of our site).
Air photographs taken before the area was covered by modern roads and buildings, coupled with the evidence of excavations and occasional finds, indicate that the ancient site occupied c.4.5 ha. It covered the slopes of the upper part of the elongated spur of Giv'at Ram, chiefly around its summit (at 825 m asl). The archaeological discoveries indicate that the site was inhabited from Iron Age II to the Byzantine period (late 8th c. B.C. to early 7th c. A.D.); meager finds from the Ummayad, Abassid and Mameluke periods do not seem to point to any permanent occupation after the mid-7th c. The site's strategic location at the top of the ascent from the coastal plain (or the start of the descent for those leaving the old city of Jerusalem ) (fig. 1b on p. 6) may be one reason for its inhabitation over such a long span. The Roman road from Joppa (Jaffa) via Nicopolis (Emmaus) to Jerusalem, which was one of the two main routes from the coastal plain to Jerusalem, passed through a saddle between the N slopes of the site and the S slopes of knoll 829 (northeast of the modern Central Bus Station) to the north (fig. lc). From here the road descended gradually, following the course of the present-day Jaffa road, into the city which lay some 1.5 Roman miles to the east. While relatively late in construction, this Roman route probably reflects upon the importance of the site in earlier periods.
Original languageEnglish
PublisherJournal of Roman Archaeology
Number of pages296
ISBN (Print)9781887829601
StatePublished - 2005

Publication series

NameJournal of Roman archaeology supplementary series
PublisherJournal of Roman Archaeology
Volume60

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