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Jerusalem 2002 OverviewOren Gutfeld Abstract The Archaeological excavations at the Cardo and the Nea Church in the Jewish Quarter were conducted and directed by the late Professor Nahman Avigad on behalf of the Institute of Archaeology of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and the Israel Exploration Society. Our knowledge of the archaeology and topography of the western part of Jerusalem were very incomplete prior to Avigad's excavations. After the reunification of the city in 1967 and with the start of intensive redevelopment of the Jewish Quarter, it was possible for the first time to uncover the past of this part of the city. During the excavations, a Byzantine street and two stone-paved colonnades with a total width of 22.5 m and shops on each side were uncovered. The southern part of the street was laid directly upon bedrock, while its northern portion was laid over fills that sealed earlier remains. South of the street were uncovered remains of a large Byzantine church identified as the Nea Church. The excavations provided physical proof of what was known from contemporary written sources (Cyril Scyth., Vita Sabae 72-73 and Procopius, De Aedificiis V, 6-9) and from the Madaba Map, which depicts the street (Cardo Maximus) with the Nea Church. Publication of the remains of the Cardo and the Nea Church will, for the first time, present the stratigraphy, architecture and small finds. In addition to the importance of publishing the finds, the results of the work on these areas will allow us to explore questions related to urban planning in Jerusalem during the Roman-Byzantine period. The late Professor Avigad dealt at length with the problems connected to the dating of the Cardo and the Nea Church. His illness and death on 28 January, 1992, cut short his work toward completion of the processing and publishing of the finds, a task that remains for us to complete. |
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