Western Wall Tunnels - Herodian Road
The Herodian Road is located inside the Western Wall Tunnels in Jerusalem. It is a portion of the market street which existed during the Second Temple period. Due to the fact that it remained hidden and covered in the until the excavation of the Kotel Tunnels in the 19th century, the Herodian Road looks almost as it did 2000 years ago. A pavement stone was found leaning on the wall, suggesting that the road was still being built at the time of the Roman Empire's conquest of Jerusalem in 70 AD.
The Herodian Road can be seen on both sides of the Western Wall - in the Archaeological park on the southern side of the Western Wall and in the Kotel Tunnels. Frames of shop entrances can still be seen today and serve as proof that during the Second Temple period this road was a hustling and bustling market place.
The length of the Herodian Road is about 70 meters and about 10 meters in width. It has a smooth surface comprised of thick stones meticulously cut and designed for comfortable walking.
Herod’s Temple - Brief History In the first century BCE, Herod ordered rebuilding the Second Temple and transformed it into a majestic shrine. However, it was demolished by the Romans in 70 CE. The Romans were lead by Titus who conquered Jerusalem and destroyed the Jewish Temple. Up to this day, the foundations of the splendid edifices by King Herod are still visible. The best known area of these remains is the Western Wall area where many Jews come to pray and celebrate Jewish occasions.
Since 1967, the Israeli government invested many resources in the excavations of the Western Wall Tunnels and Temple Mount. A series of explorations between the years 1993 until 1997 uncovered the Herodian Road which ran along the Second Temple Western Wall.
During the demolishing of the Second Temple and Jerusalem by the Romans in 70 AD, a pile of huge stones, e.g. from the upper portion of the wall and Robinson’s Arch, fell down and damaged the road and the shops. Many of the hundreds of stones that were used in time to reconstruct other structures of the Temple Mount.
The Herodian Road serves as a major tourist attraction in the Western Wall Tunnels and is an insuperable part of any tour of Jerusalem and the Kotel.
