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Bezetha (), also called by
Josephus Flavius Josephus (; , ; ), born Yosef ben Mattityahu (), was a Roman–Jewish historian and military leader. Best known for writing '' The Jewish War'', he was born in Jerusalem—then part of the Roman province of Judea—to a father of pr ...
the New City, was a suburb of
Jerusalem Jerusalem is a city in the Southern Levant, on a plateau in the Judaean Mountains between the Mediterranean Sea, Mediterranean and the Dead Sea. It is one of the List of oldest continuously inhabited cities, oldest cities in the world, and ...
during the late Second Temple period. It was located north and north-west of the
Temple A temple (from the Latin ) is a place of worship, a building used for spiritual rituals and activities such as prayer and sacrifice. By convention, the specially built places of worship of some religions are commonly called "temples" in Engli ...
, built opposite the
Antonia Fortress The Antonia Fortress (Aramaic: קצטרא דאנטוניה) was a citadel built by Herod the Great and named for Herod's patron Mark Antony, as a fortress whose chief function was to protect the Second Temple. It was built in Jerusalem at the easte ...
(now in proximity to the Convent of the Sisters of Zion and ''Ecce Homo'' on
Via Dolorosa The (Latin for 'Sorrowful Way', often translated 'Way of Suffering'; ; ) is a processional route in the Old City of Jerusalem. It represents the path that Jesus took, forced by the Roman soldiers, on the way to his crucifixion. The winding rou ...
Street) and extending as far as Herod's Gate westward and beyond. Originally, this part of the city was outside the area enclosed by the second wall, but during the reign of
Agrippa I Herod Agrippa I ( Roman name: Marcus Julius Agrippa; ), also simply known as Herod Agrippa, Agrippa I, () or Agrippa the Great, was the last king of Judea. He was a grandson of Herod the Great and the father of Herod Agrippa II, the last known k ...
, had been enclosed by the newer third wall. In
Josephus Flavius Josephus (; , ; ), born Yosef ben Mattityahu (), was a Roman–Jewish historian and military leader. Best known for writing '' The Jewish War'', he was born in Jerusalem—then part of the Roman province of Judea—to a father of pr ...
' time, the hill on which Bezetha was built could be distinguished by its elevation in relation to the tower of Antonia, which was built beyond the intermediate valley below (partly dug on purpose), between Bezetha and the north side of the Temple Mount. Topographical maps still show the contours in elevation. American missionary and explorer, James Turner Barclay, in his seminal work ''The City of the Great King'', calls Zedekiah's Cave by the hill on which it is located, "Mount Bezetha". The
Holyland Model of Jerusalem The Holyland Model of Jerusalem, also known as Model of Jerusalem at the end of the Second Temple period () is a 1:50 scale model of the city of Jerusalem in the late Second Temple period. The model, designed by Michael Avi-Yonah, was moved from ...
depicts Bezetha as one of five major districts of the first century CE Jerusalem.


History

During the outbreak of the
First Jewish-Roman War First most commonly refers to: * First, the ordinal form of the number 1 First or 1st may also refer to: Acronyms * Faint Images of the Radio Sky at Twenty-Centimeters, an astronomical survey carried out by the Very Large Array * Far Infrared a ...
, Cestius Gallus set fire to this part of the city.
Josephus Flavius Josephus (; , ; ), born Yosef ben Mattityahu (), was a Roman–Jewish historian and military leader. Best known for writing '' The Jewish War'', he was born in Jerusalem—then part of the Roman province of Judea—to a father of pr ...
, ''
The Jewish War ''The Jewish War'' is a work of Jewish history written by Josephus, a first-century Roman-Jewish historian. It has been described by the biblical historian Steve Mason as "perhaps the most influential non-biblical text of Western history". ...
'' 2.19.4.
2.527
.
Today, the area of Bezetha comprises part of the Muslim Quarter in Jerusalem's Old City.


See also

* Acra (fortress) - a suburb of Jerusalem during the Second Temple period * Gareb, a hill outside pre-586 BCE Jerusalem mentioned by Jeremiah * Herod's Gate *
Jewish Quarter (Jerusalem) The Jewish Quarter (; ) is one of the four traditional quarters of the Old City (Jerusalem), Old City of Jerusalem. The area lies in the southwestern sector of the walled city, and stretches from the Gates in Jerusalem's Old City Walls, Zion Ga ...
- a suburb known as the ":Upper City" during the Second Temple period (includes also part of the Muslim Quarter) * Struthion Pool


References

* {{Old City (Jerusalem), state=collapsed Hebrew Bible places Hebrew Bible mountains Ancient history of Jerusalem Neighbourhoods of Jerusalem Quarters (urban subdivision) Ancient sites in Jerusalem Classical sites in Jerusalem Establishments in the Herodian kingdom