Jerusalem, Holy to All Religions. Responsible Archivists Are Digitizing their Vintage Pictures

Israel's History - a Picture a Day (Beta)

---

The Chatham Library Photo Treasures Part 3, Jerusalem, Holy to All Religions. Responsible Archivists Are Digitizing their Vintage Pictures Beneath Robinson's arch on the western wall of the Temple Mt. complex  (Chatham University Archives, circa 1890) The Chatham Library archives contains 110 photos of the Holy Land, but we have focused on the photos of Jerusalem.  We present today the third part of our series.    Reconstruction model of the Arch (Wikimedia Commons) We express our admiration and gratitude to the archivists at Chatham University for digitizing these hand-colored slides dating back to about 1890.   The picture of Robinson's Arch published above is the base of a massive arch built by King Herod.  Archaeologists believe it was the anchor for a large bridge or staircase from the top of the Temple Mount.  Map of Jerusalem (Chatham University Archives, circa 1895). Note the "Railroad Station" on the bottom left (in the photo below). The Jerusalem Train Station was completed in 1892. The Chatham collection also contains a map of Jerusalem.  Note that few buildings were to be found outside of the Old City walls. The Jerusalem Railroad station was completed in 1892, and can be located at the bottom left of the map.  The map, therefore, was printed after 1892. The reference to the train station can also date the following picture's caption.  The photograph was taken near the location of the Mt Zion Hotel of today, itself the refurbished St. John's Eye Hospital established in 1882. "Jerusalem - Road to the Station." The road starts at the Jaffa Gate and passes over the Hinom Valley and Sultan's Pool  (Chatham University Archives, circa 1895) The Mosque of Omar (Chatham University Archives, circa 1890).  The second mosque on the Temple Mount,  the al-Aqsa Mosque, is holier to Muslims than the Mosque of Omar, but 19th and early 20th century photographers focused much more on "the Dome of the Rock" Mosque of Omar  Inside the Dome of the Rock, Mosque of Omar (Chatham University Archives, circa 1890). The photo appears to be a colorization of a photo by Maison Bonfils. According to Jewish tradition, the rock is the foundation stone of the Jewish Temples. See more here. (Love For His People Editor's Note: I was inside the rock in 1989, when we were allowed. It is believed to be the rock on Mount Moriah where Abraham was to offer up his son Issac. Steve Martin) Church of the Holy Sepulcher (Chatham University Archives, circa 1890) (Love For His People Editor's Note: Notice the ladder on the 2nd floor above. It is still there! (as of Nov. 10, 2013 when we were last in Jerusalem.) It has now been there for 400 years we are told when we visit here.) Amidst the ancient Jewish graves are the tombs of "Absalom (from left to right), Zacharias  and James," in the Kidron Valley (Chatham University Archives, circa 1890)