Jerusalem is a treasure trove of exciting experiences for those interested in the history of monotheism, the Jewish people, the Middle East, and contemporary culture. During a recent visit to this globally significant city, my wife and I explored two sites that pertain to Jerusalem's ancient history and its impact on contemporary Jews. The first on our list was the Rockefeller Archaeological Museum, close to the Old City walls in East Jerusalem.

Built in the 1930s outside of the northeast corner of the Old City, the Rockefeller Museum was then strictly a British project. Having gathered a collection of wonderful archaeological finds dating from prehistoric times to the Ottoman period which ended in 1917, the British set about finding a benefactor to fund the first archaeological museum in Palestine. They turned to the American philanthropist John D. Rockefeller, Jr. for the initial funding. Rockefeller donated two million dollars, an enormous sum for the era, to build what was officially named the Palestine Archaeological Museum (but was commonly called the Rockefeller Museum).

The Western Wall The museum is a standout example of the fusion of Western and Oriental (Muslim) architectural traditions, with modern innovations. It was designed by the architect Austen St. Barbe Harrison, who had previously been employed by the government of Greece to design and renovate buildings in Macedonia, where he studied Byzantine and Islamic architecture. Appointed Chief Architect of the Mandatory Department of Public Works in 1922, Harrison built numerous public buildings in Jerusalem. The museum was completed in 1938.

During the period Jordan occupied East Jerusalem (1948- 1967), King Hussein nationalized the museum, which had heretofore been run by an international board of trustees. Israel gained control of all of Jerusalem during the Six Day War of 1967 and affiliated the Rockefeller Museum with the burgeoning Israel Museum. Since then, new archeological finds have gone to the Israel Museum, a much larger facility.

There is free admission to the museum but no parking nearby. The permanent exhibition is arranged in a chronological display of the history of the Holy Land. The rare objects on display are archaeological markers of Israel's history. All of the exhibits were discovered in the Land of Israel from the 1920s into the 1940s, though other, temporary exhibitions dealing with a variety of subjects can be accommodated in the Tower Hall. Harrison's design is somewhat old-fashioned, which is part of the museum's charm. There are five main rooms, including two of octagonal shape, surrounding the fantastic, cloistered Central Court. All the rooms benefit from high windows which provide natural lighting for the exhibits.

The museum's most striking architectural features are the three-story octagonal tower at the entrance and the striking blue-tiled prayer niche facing the pool in the courtyard. The niche was designed by Armenian artist David Ohanessian, who was originally brought to Jerusalem to make repairs to the tile work at the Dome of the Rock. He was the first of a wave of Armenian tile artists to come to Jerusalem. (Their legacy is the many Armenian tile shops in Jerusalem.) Other outstanding design features of the museum include ten wall reliefs in the courtyard, designed by British artist Eric Gill, representing the major civilizations that influenced the cultural life of the region; another larger relief of Gill's located above the museum entrance; and elegantly engraved and painted English, Hebrew, and Arabic inscriptions on the museum walls. It was interesting to learn that the Jordanians hid the Hebrew inscriptions during the time they controlled the museum. (For more information see: www.english.imj net.org.il)

Our next stop was the fabulous Western Wall Tunnels, the entrance to which is adjacent to the Western Wall. This attraction is so popular that one must book weeks ahead. The Western Wall, once called the Wailing Wall, is a remnant of the western retaining wall of the Temple Mount, which was conceived by King David and built by his son, King Solomon, about 1,000 BCE. Because the First and Second Temples were destroyed by invading armies (Babylonian and Roman, respectively), and Muslim holy sites were built on the top of the Temple Mount, the Western Wall is the only artifact remaining from Temple times for Jews to venerate. As an indication of the reverence that the site enjoys, every day people of all nationalities, races and faiths congregate at the wall to pray, contemplate, or perhaps just to place a written message to the Supreme Being in its cracks.

The 187-foot length of the Wall that is visible in the Western Wall Plaza is just a fraction of the entire Wall, which is 1,600 feet in length. There are 45 levels (courses) of stonework, 28 of them above ground, and the remaining 17 underground! It is only since 1967, when Israel regained control of the Old City, that Jews have had access to the tunnels and the ability to discover and renovate previously hidden areas. Because of the efforts of the Ministry of Religious Affairs, the entire length of the Western Wall has now been revealed by the tunnel excavations. Discoveries include many rooms, public halls, a section of a Second Temple road, a Hasmonean water tunnel, a pool, incredible arches that support the various levels of construction, and more.

A sense of awe overwhelms most visitors as they are guided through the tunnels, especially at the section that is only three hundred feet from where the Ark of the Covenant - the Holy of Holies - once rested. (The current location of the ark is a mystery, which continues to arouse speculation.)

The sizes of the stones used to construct the tunnels range from relatively small to a gargantuan stone more than 40- feet long. The stone courses that are underground, as well as some above ground, are the original Western Wall stones from the time of Herod the Great, more than 2,000 years old. (King Herod, who had been made king by the Romans, rebuilt the Second Temple, the port city of Caesarea, the palace at Masada and more.) Other stones were placed on top of them during later eras: Roman, Crusader, and Ottoman. While touring the tunnel, one can see excavations of lower levels from earlier periods, some of which are scores of feet below!

Midway through the tour we saw a short documentary about the methods the builders used in those days. Stonecutters used hammers, chisels and metal wedges to quarry the stones. To move them from the quarries the builders used large mechanical cranes with levers and pulleys and huge wheels or log rollers, which formed a type of conveyor belt. Once moved from their resting place, the stones were transported by oxen or even by "manpower."

The tour concluded at the terminus of a typical King Herod-era street, which was abruptly left unfinished upon Herod's death in 4 BCE. This was evident from the fact that we stood at a "dead end," which happens to be the location of the last stand of the Jews against the Romans in 70 CE, when the Second Temple was razed.

Our excellent guide, Rivka, reminded us of the Prophet Zechariah's visions: "And the streets of the city shall be full of boys and girls playing in the streets thereof. And I will bring them, and they shall dwell in the midst of Jerusalem and they shall be my people, and I will be their God in truth and in righteousness." (Zechariah: 5/8) There we stood, youngsters and their parents or grandparents, walking on a street built by Herod more than 2,000 years ago, fulfilling Zechariah's prophecies. Only in Jerusalem! (For more information see: www.english. thekotel.org)