Israeli history photo of the week: Herod's Gate

JPost feature: Library of Congress collection of photos that document Israel before the creation of the state.

By LENNY BEN-DAVID
Sheep market outside of Herod's Gate (circa 1900) (photo credit: American Colony-Jerusalem-Photo Dept.)
Sheep market outside of Herod's Gate (circa 1900)
(photo credit: American Colony-Jerusalem-Photo Dept.)
Herod's Gate is located at the northeast corner of Jerusalem's Old City between Damascus Gate and Lion's Gate, adjoining the Muslim Quarter.  It is also called the Flower Gate because of intricate stone designs above the gate, and the Sheep's Gate because of the animal market held outside of the gate.

It is believed that that King Herod's palace was located near the site. In fact, the gate was a modest entrance until the 1870s when the Turks built the more impressive gate to give access to neighborhoods north of the Old City.The Old City of Jerusalem is surrounded by four kilometers (2.5 miles) of walls built by the Ottoman Sultan, Suleiman the Magnificent, in 1540. Seven gates serve as points of entry into the Old City. The eighth gate, the Golden Gate located at the entrance to the Temple Mount, has been sealed for centuries. During the Arab Revolt (1936-1939) the Old City of Jerusalem was subject to British police curfews and even the sealing of the gates.The Israeli Defense Forces captured the Old City in June 1967 and opened the Herod's Gate for pedestrians.
More photos can be viewed at www.israeldailypicture.com