Jerusalem, the Jewish Quarter

Renee Forestani

31/08/2023

Final Report

In July 2014, a salvage excavation was conducted on Or Hayim Street in the Jewish Quarter in the Old City of Jerusalem (Permit No, A-7173; map ref. 221875–82/631386–99), prior to the renovation of an existing building. The excavation, on behalf of the Israel Antiquities Authority and funded by Yeshivat Birkat Tora, was directed by Renee Forestani, with the assistance of N. Nehama (administration), M. Kunin (surveying and drafting), A. Peretz (field photography), D. Tanami (metal detection), R. Kool and D.T. Ariel (numismatics), N. Zak (plans), N. Marom (archaeozoology), I. Lidsky-Reznikov (pottery drawing), L. Kupershmidt (metal laboratory), C. Amit (studio photography), B. Dolinka (pottery), N. Sapir (inspection) and D. Levy (GPS).

The excavation was conducted on the ground floor of a building located at the seam between the Jewish and Armenian quarters, at the junction of Or Hayim and Ararat Streets, in one of the northern rooms of the house facing Or Hayim Street. The Roman Cardo is about 100 m east of the excavation. The excavation revealed two construction phases, early and late, dating from the Ottoman period, comprising wall remains, floors, installations and a baking oven(?).

The Early Phase (Fig. 1). A probe, sunk in the western part of the area (depth c. 3.5 m), revealed a wall (W33, Fig. 2) constructed of medium-size partly-dressed stones without bonding material, preserved two courses high. A light-gray plaster floor (L39) with small stones in it abuts the wall on the south. Above the floor were Ottoman potsherds and ibex and sheep bones. Two fals coins were found; one dating from the reign of Sultan Faraj (1339–1412 CE; IAA 144623) and the other is an unidentified Mamluk coin (IAA 144624). West of Floor 39 are the remains of a stone bedding (L11; Fig. 3).

East of Floor 39 were W37 (Fig. 4), constructed of medium-size fieldstones held with bonding material, and a bedding (L41) constructed of small stones. A dark-brown earth accumulation against W37 contained Ottoman pottery and ibex bones.

The Late Phase (Fig. 5). Above Bedding 11 of the early phase was a dark-gray plaster floor (L12; Fig. 6) with small stone grits, in which reddish stone pavers were inserted; such floors are characteristic of the Ottoman period. A thick ash layer (L2) on the floor contained Ottoman pottery and animal bones. The ash is apparently the product of the baking oven to the east (below). Southwest of the floor is W5 (Fig. 7), constructed of coarsely-dressed stones and preserved two courses high; a decorated stone in secondary use is integrated in the upper course. The wall appears to be part of an installation. A white plaster floor (L20) above Floor 39 of the early phase was overlain by an accumulation of dark-brown earth and small stones. Within the accumulation were a coin of a Roman governor to Judea under Nero (58/9 CE; IAA 144622) and Ottoman pottery. Floor 20 was cut by remains of installations (L26, L27), constructed of small fieldstones. East of W5 is W13, constructed of fieldstones held with grayish bonding material; the wall was preserved three courses high on the south and two courses high on the north side.

East of W13, above W37 of the early phase, a round installation was built (L1, Fig. 8), the foundation of which was preserved, constructed of coarsely dressed stones held with white bonding material; its seems to have been a baking oven. The opening was apparently on the south. The installation was bounded on the south by W22. A reddish earth fill within the installation (L10) contained Ottoman pottery and sheep bones, and was overlain with scattered flint stones (L8; see Fig. 8). The installation was sealed by a red clay layer (L7). A similar oven was discovered in the Giv‘ati parking lot excavation (D. Ben-Ami, pers. comm.).

Pottery. Mixed potsherds found in the excavation date from the twelfth through to the eighteenth centuries CE; these sherds date the remains to the Ottoman period. The assemblage includes twelfth–thirteenth century CE bowls (Fig. 9:1, 2), fourteenth century CE bowls (Fig. 9:3, 4), eighteenth century CE bowls (Fig. 9:5–9), a fifteenth century CE jar (Fig. 9:10) and eighteenth century CE tobacco pipes (Fig. 9:11–13).