Western Wall Tunnel / Klaagmuur Tonnel - Tours to Israel, Jordan, Jerusalem, Bethlehem, Dead sea and Petra
Western Wall Tunnel / Klaagmuur Tonnel
The open-air portion of the Western Wall at over 180 feet long and over 60 feet high leaves one astounded especially considering that its nearly 1 700 – foot original length lies beneath today’s Old City.
The history around the Western Wall Tunnel teaches us that during the second temple period extending from the Hasmonean period (2nd C BC) up to the Roman destruction of Jerusalem (70AD), the area west of the temple mount connected the temple to the western side of Jerusalem. There were four gates on this side, two being at a lower level and two on top of bridges.
Following the Roman destruction, the debris accumulated along the western side. After two millenniums, new buildings were built on top of these old layers. Under these structures some cavities remained buried deep underground.
Since the 19th century, explorers examined these cavities and tunnels in search of the second temple remains. Explorers did manage to unearth sections of the tunnels but were restricted in their research by the Ottoman rulers. It was only after the six-day war in 1967 when the area returned to Israeli control that the underground area was thoroughly researched and reconstructed. There are however some sections still in the process of archaeological excavations.
A tour of the tunnel starts from the entrance on the north side of the Western Wall prayer area and ends in the Via Dolorosa close to station 1.
Die opelug gedeelte van die Klaagmuur wat oor meer as 180 voet strek en meer as 60 voet hoog is is iets wat ‘n persoon versteld laat staan veral inaggeneem dat amper 1 700 voet van die oorsproniklike lengte onder die Ou Stad lê.
Volgens geskiedenis oor die Klaagmuur Tonnel leer ons dat gedurende die tweede tempel tydperk, vanaf die hasmonean tydperk (2de vC) tot die Romeinse verwoesting van Jerusalem, die gebied wes van die tempel terrein die tempel met die weste kant van Jersusalem verbind het. Daar was vier poorte aan hierdie kant, twee op die laer vlak en twee bo-op brûe.
Na die Romeinse verwoesting het puin opgehoop aan die weste kant. Na twee duisend jare is twee geboue bo-op hierdie ou lae gebou. Onder hierdie strukture is holtes diep onder die grond begrawe.
Vanaf die 19de eeu het navorsers die holte en tonnels ondersoek op soek na murasie van die tweede tempel. Hierdie navorsers het gedeeltes van die tonnels uitgegrawe maar was beperk in hul navorsing deur die Ottoman heersers. Dit was eers na die ses-dag oorlog in 1967, waar die gebied weer onder Israeli beheer gekom het, dat die gedeelte ondergrond deeglik genavors is en gerekonstrueer is. Daar is egter nog gedeeltes wat in die proses is van argeologie uitgrawings.
‘n Toer van die tonnel begin by die ingang op die noorde kant van die Klaagmuur gebed area en eindig in the Via Dolorasa naby stasie 1.