Looking Back at Our Final Day

July 12, 2013 Thursday

I never did add the final post for our 2013 Dig Mount Zion record -- partly because we were asked not to post photos of a major find until it had been published, and partly because I just never got around to it.

First a review of what I did for the last few days -- pottery washing.  Pam is working with me here.

Pete is interviewing me ...

Now we'll take a last look at some of the 1st-century areas on our site,

 as they appeared on our last day in 2013.

Looking down into the building.  There is a chamber below where the rocks collapsed (middle of the photo).  This was dangerous for our team members, but fortunately no one fell in.

 Climb down the ladder and peek through the arched doorway, and what do you see?

This was perhaps our most significant find of the season:  a full-sized BATHTUB, cut from a single piece of stone.  This is prima facie evidence that the owner of this dwelling was a very wealthy person.

Gabi is inside the "bathroom".

 Besides the bathtub, there were three ovens, two cisterns, and the private mikveh.  The mikveh, used for ritual purification, lead us to believe that this was the home, even mansion, of a wealthy high priest.

The Israel Antiquities Authority, or IAA, is the legal owner of all archaeological finds in Israel.  They have removed the bathtub and we assume it is now in the archaeology section of the Israel Museum in Jerusalem.  We'll have to go back and look for our bathtub!

We said farewell to our Mount Zion dig and made our way back up through the old city.

We passed this corner every day.  It's just outside the Zion Gate, between the gate and our dig site.

Zoom in to read the sign.  Go left to find the coenaculum, also called the "cenacle" from "cena", Latin for "dinner".  This is the traditional site of the Last Supper, although the building itself dates to much more recent Crusader times.  Go to the right to access the traditional site of King David's Tomb, as well as the Dormitian Abbey.  David's Tomb is actually the ground floor, with the Upper Room above.

The Domitian Abbey was very important to our dig team, because that's where the restrooms are!
Our group donated a case or two of toilet paper to the Abbey.

Now we go into the Old City though the Zion Gate for the last time in 2013.  We've had a wonderful experience.

 A joyous Bar Mizveh celebration happened by just in time for us to watch.