Garden of the Sanhedrin Tombs facts for kids
The Tombs of the Sanhedrin are ancient burial places in Jerusalem, Israel. These tombs are carved deep into the rock underground. They get their name from the Sanhedrin. The Sanhedrin were important courts of judges. These judges were chosen in every city of ancient Israel long ago.
Discovering the Sanhedrin Tombs
This section tells you about how these amazing tombs were found. It also covers the important work done by archaeologists.
Early Excavations and Finds
The main cave was first explored in 1903. An American archaeologist named G. A. Burton started clearing it out. An archaeologist is a scientist who studies human history. They do this by digging up old sites and artifacts.
Later, in 1950, another archaeologist, Yotam Julius Rothschild, finished the work. He completely cleared the cave. This allowed him to see everything inside.
Inside the cave, they found a coffin. A coffin is a box used for burying the dead. This coffin had the name "Isaac" written on it. This special coffin was then taken to France. Today, you can see it at the famous Louvre Museum in Paris.
A Vast Ancient Cemetery
Many burial caves were found in the Sanhedrin area. The entire area is part of a huge underground cemetery. A cemetery is a place where dead people are buried. This large burial ground is called a necropolis. This necropolis was used during the Second Temple period in Jerusalem. This was a very long time ago.
There are a few reasons why this part of Jerusalem has so many burial caves. First, the area was used for stone quarrying. Quarrying means taking huge pieces of stone out of the ground. These stones were used to build things. This process left behind many large caves.
Also, at that time, rich people in Jerusalem liked the idea of burial caves. They wanted special places to be buried. This made the idea of a necropolis popular and easier to create.
