The Antonia Fortress was believed to have been built by Herod the Great, sometime before 31BC, as a military barracks. It was situated between the Temple Mount and the Pool of Bethesda. Some historians believe the location may also have been the site of Pontius Pilate's Praetorian, where Jesus was brought to stand before Pilate before he was crucified.
The Antonia Fortress is the starting point, Station #1, on the Via Dolorosa (Latin for
Way of Suffering or
Way of Grief). It is a street in the old city of Jerusalem (in today's Muslim Quarter) that many believe is the path Jesus walked to his crucifixion. There are nine
Stations of the Cross along the path, with the final five stations found inside the Church of the Holy Sepulchre.
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| This is a scale model of the Old City of Jerusalem, and Second Temple, that is on the grounds of the Israel Museum. You can see the Antonia Fortress in the upper right-hand corner of the Temple Mount. |
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| Down beneath the current streets of old Jerusalem, lie the ruins of many old alleys and pathways |
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| Paving stones in the Antonia Fortress |
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| More paving stones |
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| The edge of a marble table in the ruins of the Antonia Fortress |
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| As with many of the holy sites in Israel, you can get a souvenir, or two, to bring back home |
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