Image Details

Dan Bahat

A RELIC OF THE BARIS. This ancient water channel runs north-south just west of the Temple Mount before turning sharply to the east and running into the western wall. It predates the construction of the Herodian Temple Mount and probably served the Baris, the Hasmonean fortress that Herod rebuilt into the Antonia. Since this location had the strategic advantage of protecting against invaders from the north and overseeing the Temple, Herod probably incorporated parts of the Baris, including its water systems, into the new Antonia.