An Important City You Never Heard of

Posted on July 11, 2016July 12, 2016 by mcohen15

From the stage of the theater you can see down the main Cardo (main street) to the Tel, the hill that contains the other 15 cities in layers.

This colonnaded street is 150 meters long. It was built by the Romans and renovated at the beginning of the Byzantine period (4th century CE).

On either side of the Palladius Street (main street) were rows of shops whose facades were faced with marble. Having a shop on this main thoroughfare probably meant a prosperous business and consequently high rent.

Inside the shops one can see remnants of pretty elaborate mosaic floors somewhat restored to their original glory.

This cut out figure is meant to give a flavor of “life” in ancient Bet Shean. In the foreground of this picture you can see the stones of the Cardo.

This is one of the best preserved Roman theaters with seating for 7000 built in the first century CE.

The mass of these stones always begs the question of how they could have been transported and erected.

One theory of how they were transported in this recreation of a two wheeled machine for moving blocks of stone.

Since much of the city was destroyed in an earthquake there are many pieces that have not been put into place and you can see many of them lining the outside of the theater.

Details carved into fragments from walls and capitals.

Steps leading up to what was a large Roman temple built in the 2nd century CE. It was destroyed during the Byzantine period though you can see that some of the corinthian columns remained. The facade contained four large columns supporting a 15 meter gabled roof.

Some if the collapsed columns from the Roman temple that became uncovered in the earthquake of 749 CE.

A public fountain of the 2nd century was remodeled in the 4th century. Water spilled into a pool situated in front of the structure, on the side facing the street. Decorative elements that have been found on the site but not quite identified may belong here.

Evidence of the devastation from the earthquake of 749 CE that destroyed the city.

More devastation and notice the size of the paving stones used for the main streets of the city.

Mosaic floor that leads to the bathhouse. We were surprised that they allow visitors to walk on these ancient stones. I guess they are not as delicate as you might think.

Built in Roman times and renovated in Byzantine times the bathhouse is quite well preserved. The cylinders that you see supported a floor that would have retained heated water pumped in from below. The fires were kept going by slaves outside the building.

Bronze plaque recreating the tools of the bathhouse (left to right clockwise): oil flask, pair of strigils for scraping the oil from the skin, pouring dishes (patter) used for splashing cold water over the body to open pores after the heat of the bath, toiletry set for personal hygiene: ear scoop and nail cleaner.

A view down the valley towards Lake Tiberius.

Final view overlooking Bet Shean. One would never guess from the 106 degree temperature it was and how dry it all seems that there is lots of water in the area. More about that in the next blog post.

Always a Surprise

Posted on July 8, 2016July 8, 2016 by mcohen15

No matter how many times I come to Jerusalem there is something new to see. I do a lot of walking, always the best way to see a city and Jerusalem has so many interesting places to walk. It’s also quite hilly so you really get your exercise here. It’s such a cross between religious neighborhoods of all “stripes”, the secular Western world (unusual in this part of the world), and a place that celebrates a global presence.

Taking a different route this morning, brought me to the backside of an abandoned Christian orphanage on a prime piece of Jerusalem real estate that is now being turned into modern luxury apartments.

The columns on either side of this entry are distinctly marking a Jewish home and then at the bottom of the left hand column is a symbol directing you to the closest bomb shelter.

Watching the world go by- boys and girls go to separate schools. The girls are now out for the summer while the boys have a few more weeks.

In downtown Jerusalem many of the side streets have these distinct objects for different cultures. Here is the tribute to China and this also gives you a sense of what the streets looks like.

A tribute to Brazil, and the upcoming Olympics. Every day we see new ones cropping up.

Not sure about the umbrellas but they look great in the wind (very hot here so any wind is a blessing)

Nepal: many Israelis travel to Nepal after they complete their army service. If you go to Nepal you are sure to meet Israeli travelers.

Schneller Compound, founded in 1855 by Maronite Christians as an orphanage that until 1903 cared for over 1500 children.

Used as an army barracks by the Turks, then by the British, and finally by the Haganah (Israeli forces) in 1948. It became a public parking lot and now will be over 200 luxury apartments, supposedly preserving the 8 original buildings.

Graphics

Posted on July 6, 2016July 8, 2016 by mcohen15

We have discussed propaganda in the Ancient Art History class and in Art Appreciation we have looked at graphic design. In both cases it’s interesting to consider how powerful graphics can be to convey a message. What is particularly interesting to think about is that in the religious community here in Jerusalem people don’t watch television, movies, play video games, or use computer except for work or study. So it’s very interesting that children’s backpacks have images from popular culture devoid of their “meaning”. What captures a child’s attention when they don’t know the story behind it?

The Sumo wrestler on the back of the truck obviously gives you a sense of how “macho” the delivery capabilities are of this trucking company. Do those following it even know it’s a sumo wrestler very scantily dressed? People dress modestly so are they offended seeing this or just puzzled?