Ashes of History
the ruins of the Holy Temple in Jerusalem

 

It's sunset after a hot day in 70 C.E. Although a cooling breeze blows through the open windows of the home of the High Priest known as Katros, inside the atmosphere is heated. The elder Katros, pointing to the Holy Temple which can be seen through the open window, is furious. He believes his teenage son has joined the Zealots, a group of Jewish rebels he both fears and despises. "Are you one of them?" the father shouts, his voice shaking with fury. "Have you turned against your family?"

The Zealots, the Kana'im, are a group of radical Jewish Galileans who fled Roman oppression in the outlying areas, coming into the walled and holy city of Jerusalem for safety. Many younger Jews are attracted to the philosophy of the Zealots, whose reputation is strengthened by having won several battles against the Romans. Even so, the more established residents of Jerusalem-like the Katros family-are horrified by the Zealots. While both sides are repulsed by the Romans' high taxes and heinous practices forced upon the Jewish people, the elder citizens believe a war against the Romans cannot be won. These Jews prefer to wait, hoping for more favorable circumstances before going to war.

As the teenage son and his father accuse each other, exchanging hateful words, the family's servant girl, Miriam, reminds everyone of the importance of respect. "Of course we have disagreements among ourselves," she says, "but we must remember how evil hatred is. Hating each other will destroy us faster than the Romans."

The father and son ignore Miriam- reflecting the raging dispute that splits the Jewish community, where Jews are fighting Jews.

Shortly thereafter, a contingent of Roman soldiers breaks down the door to the House of Katros, setting fire to the home and killing everyone except the teenage son, who flees and finds safety in a cave outside the city. On the ninth day of the month of Av, the Romans destroy the Holy Temple.

It was a bitter lesson: It is said the Holy Temple was destroyed by senseless hatred, by Jew fighting Jew. With the Temple in ruins, Jews dispersed all across the globe and didn't establish a sovereign state in the Holy Land until 1948.

Today, the House of Katros, once so elegant and luxurious, is known as the Burnt House, a museum that offers a glimpse into what life was like in Jerusalem in 70 C.E.

Only the basement of the Katros home remains intact. But from archaeological evidence, researchers have shown that the home featured a tiled courtyard to welcome guests. Inside they discovered a sizeable kitchen, several rooms for living and sleeping, and a mikvah, ritual bath.

After Israel regained control of the Holy City in 1967, archaeologists uncovered an astonishing array of stone vessels, pots, jars, tables, and other implements from the rubble. The Katros family, it is suggested, had worked mixing spices for incense for the Temple services. All dishes and tools recovered from their home were fashioned of stone which, unlike clay vessels, cannot acquire any ritual impurity. High priests, therefore, used only stoneware.

The Talmud mentions the family-but not with respect. "Woe is me because of the House of Katros," the Talmud (Pesahim 57) reads, lamenting their abuse of power. That said, Burnt House offers visitors a connection to Jewish history, to Israel, and to what it means to be a Jew today.

Hear what three Israelis have to say about Burnt House:

“Touring Burnt House helped me see Israel as my home,” said Lea Epstein, 18, from Memphis, Tennessee, who’s spending a year studying in Jerusalem. “The exhibit made me realize that our people’s history happened right here, right in this very spot! It made that history come alive for me…. Now when I encourage people to visit Israel, it’s as though I’m inviting them into my own home. As Jews, we know that this land has been ours forever. But now I feel it’s mine, too.”

Toby Tabek, 18, lives in Israel because almost four years ago, her parents made aliyah (immigrated to Israel) from New York. She and several girlfriends will soon begin two years of National Service working as volunteer tour guides for Tunnel Tours, an exhibit of the excavations running under the Kotel (Western Wall). Because tour volunteers must know as much as possible about Jerusalem and the Old City, Toby and friends are visiting the Burnt House and other sites in the Old City. “The Kotel, the Old City—this is the heart of it all. It’s proof that we’ve been here for thousands of years, that Israel has always been our homeland. You feel differently about a place when you realize it’s yours.”

For Mishael Miadovski, 13, who lives in Jerusalem with his parents and four siblings, visiting the Burnt House museum not only reinforces his connection to the Jewish past, but also strengthens his love for the land he calls home: “It’s all right here,” he says. “The Kotel, the Old City, my school, the Kinneret, all the places I love. This is our home.”

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