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THE SECOND TEMPLE PERIOD
In the Sumptuous Residences of Nobles and Priests
In the Second Temple period, the rich people of Jerusalem lived on
the western hill, or the upper city as it was called at the time-the
present Jewish quarter in the old city. The view of the Temple must
have been superb, as the homes themselves must have been, with mosaics
on the floors, frescoes on the walls and fine furnishings.
A large number of stone vessels have been found in the remains of
these vast residences, and in simpler homes as well. This has to do
with the strict observance of ritual purity demanded by the Torah. For
unlike pottery, wood or metal containers, stone ones could not
be contaminated.
At this time, many workshops in Jerusalem produced stone furniture,
ossuaries and dishes.
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Limestone furnishings from sumptuous residences
Collection of Israel Antiquities Authority, exhibited at The Israel Museum, Jerusalem
Photo © The Israel Museum, by Dr. Jean-Luc Pilon, Canadian Museum of Civilization
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Representation of the Menorah
This piece of incised plaster illustrated below bears the oldest
known representation of the menorah, the seven-armed candelabrum
that stood in the Second Temple in King Herod's day. It was found
during archaeological digs in what is now the Jewish quarter of the
old city of Jerusalem. This image was actually made when the menorah
was still in the Temple-and thus by someone who had seen the
menorah-perhaps one of the priests.
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Representation of the menorah
Photo © Israel Museum, Jerusalem
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