Roads to the Holy City: An Integrated Archaeological and Spatial Analysis of Access Routes Leading to Jerusalemin the Second Century BCE–Seventh Century CE
Analyzes Jerusalem's access routes, revealing their evolution and significance during different historical periods.
Key Points
The aim is to explore the development of Jerusalem's transportation network across distinct historical phases and its relationship to religious and political contexts.
Conducted an integrated analysis using archaeological excavations and GIS-based spatial analysis.
Examined three historical phases: Hasmonean and Early Roman, Middle and Late Roman, and Byzantine.
Assessed eight major access routes and their connections to various religious and administrative functions.
In the Hasmonean and Early Roman periods, roads supported Jewish pilgrimage with religious infrastructure including ritual baths.
The Middle and Late Roman periods saw systematic road construction emphasizing military and administrative needs, featuring straight, paved routes.
During the Byzantine period, roads facilitated Christian pilgrimage, leading to the establishment of monasteries and service installations.