Jerusalem Underground

In  Jerusalem, “underground”  physical  and metaphysical are a state of mind. We traverse history by walking in the waters of the 8th century BCE“Hezekiah’s Tunnel”built when the city was defending itself from the approaching Assyrian army to protect the water by diverting its flow deep into the city with an impressive tunnel system  and then walk  to  the Ecce Homoconvent  built  over  the  Lithostratos,    traditionally  believed  to  be  the  place  where Jesus  was  scourged  and  condemned  to  death    Its  rough-hewn  paving  stones, some of which came from the Antonia Fortress  are from the time of the emperor Hadrian  with  the  games  of  the  soldiers  carved  into  the  stones      On  the  way  we stop at  Bein Hakshatot (Between the  Arches) restaurant,  is housed in a 13th century  building that  had  been  part  of    a  Mamluk  project  to  make  the  adjacent
parts of the city level with the Temple Mount by. constructing a system of arches and   arched   walls.      In   west   Jerusalem   we   stop   at   the Museum   of   the Underground  Prisoners  housed  in  what  was  a  19th  century “Russian  Women’s Pilgrims  Hotstel  converted  to  the  central  prison  during the  British  Mandate,  in which  hundreds  of  Jewish  underground  fighters  who  had  been  captured  by  the British on various actions, while fighting against foreign rule were imprisoned   and finish  our  day.    We  finish  our  day  by  exploring.....what  else  but  the  culturally vibrant,  artistically  engaged  and  politically  aware Jerusalem's  underground community groups that bucks the dominant culture.