Herod also built a huge administrative sector and a luxurious royal palace (see below), but the Temple was still far and away the most impressive building in 1st century Jerusalem.įor more pictures and information, go to Jerusalem Archaeology. It was the meeting place of the Sanhedrin, the High Court of Jews during the Roman period. The Temple was not only the center of religious ritual, but the place where the Holy Scriptures and important Jewish literature was kept. A great door led to the sanctuary, at the western end of which was the Holy of Holies. Its courtyards served as a gathering place and its shaded porticoes sheltered merchants and money changers. The Temple was raised, enlarged, and faced with beautiful white stone. The area of the Temple Mount was doubled and surrounded by a high wall with massive gates. He built on a grand scale.Ĭonstruction of the Temple in Jerusalem lasted for 46 years. But as well as this he was one of the great builders of the ancient world – cities, fortresses, palaces, the Temple. Most people know Herod the Great as the king who ordered the massacre of the Innocents at the time of Jesus’ birth. In hot weather family members slept there as well.įor more pictures and information, go to What Archaeology Tells Us About Nazareth. The inside rooms tended to be dark, so the courtyard and the roof were important parts of the house, used for tasks that needed good light – Mary of Nazareth and the women of her family would have spun yarn, woven fabric and prepared food there. Stairs or a wooden ladder led up onto the roof, which was used as an outdoor room partly shaded by matting or a tent-like superstructure. Lattice work and shutters were used to cover window openings. These rooms were small by our standard, with a minimum of windows. The basic floor plan had a central courtyard with rooms opening off it. But we do know what ordinary village houses looked like in 1st century Palestine, and in Nazareth in particular. The house disappeared many centuries ago. Of course no-one knows exactly what Mary and Joseph‘s house in Nazareth was like. What was the large town near Nazareth, and what was it like?.What sort of house did rich people live in – eg the High Priest Annas.What made King Herod’s rebuilt Temple in Jerusalem so impressive?.What was Nazareth like at the time of Jesus?.