Robinson's Arch and Wilson's Arch
Herodian bridge and stairway arches that carried worshippers onto the Temple Mount
Found 1838 — Edward Robinson identified the projecting arch springer in 1838; Charles Wilson documented the northern arch in 1864; Benjamin Mazar excavated the Robinson's Arch staircase and street (1968–78)
Where Southwest corner (Robinson's) and northwest of Western Wall Plaza (Wilson's), Jerusalem (Israel)
Dates from c. 20 BCE–70 CE · Early Roman (Herodian) · Second Temple period
Now at In place; Davidson Center Archaeological Park (Robinson's Arch) and Western Wall Tunnels (Wilson's Arch)
How Robinson's Arch and Wilson's Arch was found
Robinson noticed courses of stone jutting from the Western Wall's southern end and recognized them as an arch spring. Mazar's dig revealed the pier, the paved street below and the collapsed stairway.
What it is
Robinson's Arch was a 15-meter-wide arch supporting a monumental L-shaped staircase from the street up to the Royal Stoa on the Temple Mount. Wilson's Arch, still intact, is the easternmost of a series of arches that carried a bridge from the Upper City to the Temple. Radiocarbon dating of the mortar (2020) showed Wilson's Arch was built under Herod and widened under the Roman governors.
Why it matters for the Bible
These are the entrances Yeshua, the disciples and Paul would have used to reach the Temple. The paved street under Robinson's Arch is still buried in collapsed stones from 70 CE, a frozen moment of the destruction Yeshua foretold.
The Hebrew word: SHAH-ar
שַׁעַר
שַׁעַר is pronounced SHAH-ar and means gate (Strong's H8179).
People this discovery connects to
- Yeshua (Jesus) — יֵשׁוּעַ (Ye-SHOO-ah) — YHVH saves
Places
- Temple — בֵּית הַמִּקְדָּשׁ (Beit ha-mik-DASH) — house of the sanctuary
Events
Pilgrim entry to the Temple · Destruction of Jerusalem in 70 CE
Robinson's Arch and Wilson's Arch in Scripture
1 Kings 6:3 First mention of Temple in Scripture.
Luke 21:5-6 'Not one stone will be left upon another' — the fallen stones lie on the street below the arch.
Acts 3:1-2 Peter and John go up to the Temple at the hour of prayer, using entrances like these.
Questions people ask
What is Robinson's Arch and Wilson's Arch?
Robinson's Arch was a 15-meter-wide arch supporting a monumental L-shaped staircase from the street up to the Royal Stoa on the Temple Mount. Wilson's Arch, still intact, is the easternmost of a series of arches that carried a bridge from the Upper City to the Temple. Radiocarbon dating of the mortar (2020) showed Wilson's Arch was built under Herod and widened under the Roman governors.
When was Robinson's Arch and Wilson's Arch discovered?
It was found in 1838 by Edward Robinson identified the projecting arch springer in 1838; Charles Wilson documented the northern arch in 1864; Benjamin Mazar excavated the Robinson's Arch staircase and street (1968–78), at Southwest corner (Robinson's) and northwest of Western Wall Plaza (Wilson's), Jerusalem.
Where is Robinson's Arch and Wilson's Arch today?
In place; Davidson Center Archaeological Park (Robinson's Arch) and Western Wall Tunnels (Wilson's Arch).
Which Bible verses does Robinson's Arch and Wilson's Arch relate to?
1 Kings 6:3, Luke 21:5-6, Acts 3:1-2.
Related discoveries
- תְּקִיעָהTrumpeting Place Inscription'To the place of trumpeting…' — a stone from the Temple's southwest corner tower
- חֻרְבָּןHerodian Street and the 70 CE CollapseThe paved market street beneath the Western Wall, still buried under stones thrown down by Titus' soldiers
- בֵּית לֶחֶםBethlehem: Church of the NativityConstantine's basilica over the cave of Yeshua's birth, its 4th-century mosaics and the 2013–2020 restoration
- גֻּלְגֹּלֶתChurch of the Holy Sepulchre: Golgotha and the TombA 1st-century quarry, garden and rock-cut tombs beneath the traditional site of the crucifixion and burial
- חֲזִירKursi (Gergesa)Byzantine monastery on the eastern shore marking the miracle of the swine
- נֵצֶרNazareth 1st-Century HouseSimple dwellings showing Nazareth was a small Jewish village in Yeshua's day
Sources
- Regev, Uziel et al., 'Radiocarbon dating and microarchaeology untangle the history of Jerusalem's Temple Mount: A view from Wilson's Arch', PLOS ONE (2020)
- Wikipedia: Robinson's Arch