Quarter of Herod the underground Museum of archaeology, allowing you to see firsthand what looked like a rich district of Jerusalem in the time of Jesus as lived by prominent citizens.

When the Romans in 70 ad destroyed the city, was left of the ruins, where six decades later, the conquerors built their colony Aelia Capitolina. Thus, the ruins were buried under the foundations of new buildings, the outlines of biblical Jerusalem disappeared from human eyes for two thousand years.

In 1948, during the war for independence, the Jewish quarter was again almost completely destroyed and fell under the control of the Jordanians. In 1967 during the six day war, Israel regained the Old city, began the reconstruction of streets. Integral part of steel works archaeological survey, during which the thickness of the earth, scientists have discovered the remains of the luxurious dwellings of the period of the Second temple. Majestic quarter was named Herod, although the evidence of the existence here of the biblical king no. Created in the eighties of the XX century archaeological Museum called the Museum of Wills, in memory of its benefactors Vivian and Maurice Wohl.

The entrance to the underground Museum with close streets Ha-Karaim. Now its halls are 3-7 meters below street level. In the time of Jesus of local mansions ledges on the hillside, opened a gorgeous view of the temple mount. Lived here a family of local aristocrats and wealthy priests – maybe even someone from pursuing Jesus.

Six houses in the Greco-Roman style, make up the exhibition, were, apparently, two-storey. To have survived only ground floors of buildings. They are richly decorated and well equipped: preserved bathrooms, cisterns for water closets, baths, furnace, mosaic with floral motifs, murals, fine household items. It's obvious that the standard of living of wealthy Jerusalemites was extremely high. The largest of the six houses had an area of 600 square meters and a spacious balcony with views of the Temple.

On the stands of the Museum – elegant ceramic vessels for wine and oil, were imported from other regions of the vast Roman Empire. Presents and furniture, tables with solid stone countertops. On the wall is carved the image of the menorah is the oldest known image of the menorah. All dwellings were arranged in a special bath (mikvah) needed by the priests for ritual ablutions. Widely represented graceful moldings decorating the home. In one of the rooms visible traces of the flame that raged there after the fall of the city, damaged mosaics and frescoes, around the ashes.

Full understanding of the structure of these rich houses can be perfectly executed by the layout of the premises reproduced in every detail, rooms were lighted with lamps, cobbled streets are people in ancient robes.