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About the Artifact

Foundation Stone

Foundation Stone

Foundation Stone from the Fortification Wall of Jerusalem

Jerusalem (Israel), 41-70 C.E.
  • Limestone: carved
  • 21 5/8 x 24 1/2 x 41 1/2 in. (54.9 x 62.2 x 105.4 cm)
  • The Jewish Museum, New York
  • Gift of Evi Bossanyi Loeb in honor of Howard S. Levy through the National Museum of American Jewish History, Philadelphia, 1993-30
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Foundation Stone

Foundation Stone from the Fortification Wall of Jerusalem

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Foundation Stone from the Fortification Wall of Jerusalem

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City walls provided an important line of defense against invading armies. This single limestone block, weighing 750 pounds, is one of thousands that formed a massive wall surrounding the city of Jerusalem in the 1st century CE. King Agrippa I began building this wall in 41 CE, and it was completed in 66 CE, when the Jews revolted against the Romans. In the year 70 CE, the Roman army breached the wall and destroyed Jerusalem and the Second Temple.