It's not just big . . . it's COLOSSAL!
The sign calls this strange thing lying in a Jerusalem street a colossal monolithic column..
Today it is between the police station and the Russian Orthodox Cathedral. But several thousand years ago this was a lonely place--a quarry.
The column cracked while it was being shaped and was thus rendered useless. The stonecutters left it in situ, still attached to the bedrock--all 12 meters / 40 feet of it.
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Perhaps Herod had wanted it for the colonnades of the Second Temple . . . .
September 1 is Theme Day at City Daily Photo. See what the CDP bloggers have posted for our BIG theme.Click here to view thumbnails for all participantsI'm so happy to say "our"! This is my first official participation!
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Today is also That's My World Tuesday where blogger friends offer a little guided tour of their corner of the world. Lots to visit today!
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Fascinating. I'm always in awe of this sort of thing because I live in a country where things that are 200 years old are ancient and rare!
ReplyDeleteHow amazing - and it's still there after all that time!
ReplyDeleteJanice.
Now that's something big. It would be interesting to know what project the column was being prepared for.
ReplyDeleteAn Arkies Musings
At first site I thought it was old gas main pipe.
ReplyDeleteWhat a brilliant choice for today's theme, Dina! You're right, it's colossal! And still attached to the rock? I'd really want to know the full story of what it was meant to be, but we might never know...
ReplyDeleteHappy theme day to you!
Shalom to all and thanks for your thoughts.
ReplyDeleteAll I could find to answer your questions was this: "The column was presumably destined either for the colonnades of the Herodian Temple or - as a number of capitals found here suggest - for a building of the Theodosian period (second half of fourth century)."
Another really interesting post, Dina, as always. I always learn so much from bloggers like you! It's amazing that they just left it there like that and there it remains to this day!
ReplyDeleteA colossal colossus? So glad you chose something from the ancient world!
ReplyDeleteNot only big, but ancient. Fascinating.
ReplyDeleteThat column is a BIG MONSTER! Indeed it's huge! And historic!
ReplyDeleteThanks Dina, never before had I given thought as to how these monolithic colomns were made. In art history one learned all about the mathematics of the columns of the parthenon and the possibilities of building of the pyramids, but no-one ever contemplated the wonder of these monolithic marvels.
ReplyDeleteDina, you are now officially part of CDP? Wonderful! Such fun. I abandoned my CDP blog as the circumstances were not right for me, but your blog is and always has been a perfect representative.
ReplyDeleteI still have my other blogs.
And that's a cool column.
We saw something like this in Egypt. It's really fascinating to see something in the ground that didn't quite make it to the palace or temple or whatever. You could see what hard work it was.
ReplyDeleteThat is amazing. I wonder how long it took to carve that much of it before it cracked. Lots of hard work for nothing!
ReplyDeleteReally clever find for theme day! Impressive column especially that it's been there all this time.
ReplyDeleteI love that it's still lying in situ, undisturbed after all this time.
ReplyDeleteHistory confronts us with mysteries to solve, but also with facts that cannot be denied. Without history we cannot understand the culture of today. Even languages have developed under the influence of former events! Thanks for this post, Dina!
ReplyDeleteCongratulations on your first Theme Day, Dina and you've posted such a fascinating post. Amazing to see this column still attached to the bedrock.
ReplyDeleteMaybe it was intended for the temple or a palace.
ReplyDeleteGreat ancient find. Love it.
I kind of feel sorry for it, to be abandoned like that. At least now, it has a place of importance — where are the other columns? ;)
ReplyDeleteYay for your 'official' theme day participation!
Fascinating! Really is the center of the world.
ReplyDeletewelcome to the cdp family and the theme days that go with it ;)
ReplyDeleteYou have chosen an awesome fitting photo for today! Congrats.
That big column is really a surprise, Dina! It's good to keep on being surprised from day to day.
ReplyDeletequite interesting to be in an ancient city and to see those things always. I live in a city where antiques are not easily found anywhere.
ReplyDeleteMy world is up here.
Great choice, Dina! This is amazing!
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