Holyland Model of Jerusalem - Jerusalem, Israel
As a Christian visiting Israel, it was interesting for me to place the events I have read in the Bible for a lifetime in their geographical context. The distances between events, the terrain and even the legends that surround the biblical stories helped bring events to life for me. The city was sacked by the Romans shortly after the crucifixion and resurrection. The geography changed a bit as a result. New walls, roads and structures have been built upon old, making it hard to decipher what things actually looked like at the time of Jesus.
In 1966, a hotel owner named Hans Kroch commissioned the building of a replica of Jerusalem during her prime. 66 AD. It was originally built at his hotel, the Holyland Hotel in Jerusalem. The model is a 1:50 replica of the city 1900 years earlier. The model was painstakingly disassembled and moved to its current location at the Israel Museum in 2006. The details of this intriguing model were researched by historian Michael Avi-Yonah who is also a geographer. Many sources were used to recreate the city as it looked during Jesus' time. Among them were the writings of historian Josephus, whose first century writings intricately describe life in Jerusalem during the first century. His writings also included observations of early Christianity.
The terrain map is a sprawling representation of the city. I will share the features of the map in photos, with limited explanation.
The title photo shows the Herodian Temple as it might have appeared in the first century. Above is an overview of the city viewed from the northeast. Below is a wider view of the Temple Mount.
This southern view of the city includes a representation of the Kidron Valley on the right hand side. The mount of olives would be to the right in this depiction.
The most interesting feature on this entire map, next to the temple itself, are the pools of Bethesda. These pools were believed to be elsewhere, or possibly even just a metaphor. They exist. Their existence defies early theologians, who attempted to explain the humongous pools, which couldn't possibly have existed. Until they did. When the ruins of these massive pools were discovered, they corroborated the Gospel account of the Jesus and the lame man. The ancient pools were not discovered until the nineteenth century. They appear on this map just as the Apostle John described them.
Below are a couple of closer views of the detail taken to recreate the structures of ancient Jerusalem.
And one final view of the Temple Mount taken from further out that shows the elevation of the Temple over other parts of the city.
If you have enjoyed reading about the Holyland Model, be sure to check out my other adventures in Israel.
A Christian Guide to Israel
Hotels
Cinema Hotel Tel Aviv, Israel
Ron Beach Hotel, Tiberias, Israel
Prima Park Hotel Jerusalem, Israel
Attractions
Caesarea National Park Caesarea, Israel
Mount Precipice Mount Kedimum, Israel
Sea of Galilee Boat Ride Tiberias, Israel
Yigal Alon Museum (Jesus Boat) Ginosar, Israel
Capernaum, Israel
St. Peter’s Restaurant Kinneret, Israel
Caesarea Phillipi Banias, Israel
Gadot Lookout and Memorial Golan Heights, Israel
Jordan River Baptismal Site Yardenit, Israel
Beit She’an National Park Beit She’an, Israel
Mount of Olives, Jerusalem, Israel
Garden Tomb Jerusalem, Israel
Western Wall Jerusalem, Israel
Western Wall Tunnels Jerusalem, Israel
Bethlehem New Store Gift Shop
Pools of Bethesda Jerusalem, Israel
Via Dolorosa Jerusalem, Israel
Shrine of the Book Jerusalem, Israel
Yad Vashem, Jerusalem, Israel
The Upper Room Jerusalem, Israel
Tomb of King David Jerusalem, Israel
Masada National Park, Masada, Israel
The Dead Sea, Masada, Israel
Churches
Discalced Carmelite Monastery Muhraqa, Israel
Basilica of the Annunciation Nazareth, Israel
St. Peter’s Church Capernaum, Israel
Church of the Multiplication Tabgha, Israel
Church of the Beatitudes Tabgha, Israel
Church of All Nations Jerusalem, Israel
Church of Saint Anne Jerusalem, Israel
Church of the Holy Sepulcher Jerusalem, Israel
Church of Saint Peter in Gallicantu Jerusalem, Israel
Church of the Nativity, Bethlehem, West Bank
Unless otherwise indicated, these photos are my own. They may be used with permission.
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We went to see this model as well and it was amazing. Huge. Massive. Detailed! Thanks for all the background information about it. It really is an impressive piece of work. :) I would have loved to have seen it in its hayday!
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