After much disagreement, the scientists were able to determine the time of construction of the “Great bridge” in Jerusalem. It was built in two stages – in the period from the twentieth year BC to seventy ad.
according to the journal PLoS ONE, the study was conducted by a team of archaeologists led by Johanna Regev of the Weizmann Institute in Rehovot, using radiocarbon analysis.
Great bridge serves as the entrance to the temple mount from the West. Today on the surface of the earth from it was a small part of the so – called Wilson’s arch, which is named after a British surveyor, who described it in 1864.
date of construction of the bridge and, accordingly, arch has long been a subject of scientific disputes. A point they could supply large-scale archaeological study of the supports of the bridge, hidden under the ground. Using the radiocarbon method were dated of 33 samples of organic materials extracted from them, which allowed us to reconstruct the history of the bridge.
it Turned out that it was constructed in two stages: in the twentieth year BC, when the rules Herod the Great and his immediate successors. So it could go to Church Jesus. The second stage is the forties and the seventies of our era. Then the construction has doubled, and arch Wilson acquired its present appearance.
According to the researchers, the construction of the bridge had been completed prior to ‘ 66, when the Jews rebelled against Roman rule, and in the year 70, the bridge was destroyed by them to the Roman troops during the siege of Jerusalem are unable to enter the temple mount.
After the uprising the Romans destroyed the Temple. In the V century at the foot of Wilson’s arch was constructed the water tank.
