Ecce Homo Convent          (The Praetorium)

Jesus was crucified. Who crucified Him? The answer to this question throughout the ages is 'the Jews'. Because of this, countless crimes have been committed against the Jewish people and many Jews carry the burden of shame over the role of their ancestors in the death of Jesus.

In the Mishnah (Jewish repetition of the Law), the death penalty could be carried out through stoning, burning, beheading and strangling. Crucifixion was never an acceptable means and was probably a traditional Persian execution adopted by Romans.

 As a Jew himself, the Apostle Paul states,

“The Jews (or the Judeans, people from the region of Judea) who killed both the Lord Jesus and their own prophets” (1Thessalonians 2:14).

The Gospel also tells us that the Sadducees who were the aristocracy of the Jewish Temple plotted against Jesus. The authority of the Temple was already threatened by the rising influence of the Pharisees and the separatists of Qumran (perhaps the Essenes sect). This power struggle made it crucial to remove Jesus from the public eye. Many of Jesus' contemporaries were responsible for his death, but the Apostolic Creed says: 'He suffered under Pilate'. 

Marie-Alphonse Ratisbonne, a French Jew and former atheist, converted to Catholicism and became a priest. He purchased land in Jerusalem and started the Ecce Homo Convent in 1856.  Between 1858 and 1862, he built a basilica (the Church of Ecce Homo), which overlaps part of the gateway arch.  Through archaeological excavation, it has been determined that the Church and Convent were built north of the site where the Antonia Fortress once stood, built in 30BC by Herod the Great and named after Marc Antony.  

Today, the Ecce Homo Convent and excavation site are jointly owned by the Catholic Sisters of Notre Dame de Sion and the Chemin Neuf Community. Together, they share the goal of reconciliation between people of all faiths and strive to extend love to the Jewish people as prescribed in the doctrine of 1965 Vatican Council:

"What happened in Jesus' passion cannot be blamed upon all the Jews then living, without distinction, nor upon all Jews of today..." (Nostra Aetate 4B- b 6-9).

In the 1st century BC, Herod the Great built the Struthion Pool (or Sparrow  in Greek). This large cistern was found among the ruins. Initially, there was a channel that brought water to the Temple area cisterns which was destroyed by Herod. A moat was built and the Struthion pool was dug.

Roman Emperor Hadrian (2nd century BC) added arched vaulting to enable pavement to be placed over the pool, making it a large cuboid shaped cistern to gather rainwater from guttering on the forum buildings.

He also built a triple-arched gated entrance to the eastern forum of the Aelia Capitoline in Jerusalem. The northern arch is preserved under the apse (recess) of the Basilica of Ecce Homo.

"Then the soldiers led Him away into the hall called Praetorium, and they called together the whole garrison. And they clothed Him with purple; and they twisted a crown of thorns, put it on His head, and began to salute Him, 'Hail, King of the Jews!' Then they struck Him on the head with a reed and spat on Him; and bowing the knee, they worshiped Him. And when they had mocked Him, they took the purple off Him, put His own clothes on Him, and led Him out to crucify Him" (Mark 15:16-20). 

In the 2nd century BC there was built a chanel that brought water to the Temple area cisterns. It was destroyed later by king Herod the Great in order to build the moat and then  the Struthion Pool was dug. 

Roman Emperor Hadrian (2nd century BC) added arched vaulting to enable pavement to be placed over the pool, making it a large cuboid shaped cistern to gather rainwater from guttering on the forum buildings.

"Then the soldiers led Him away into the hall called Praetorium, and they called together the whole garrison.

And they clothed Him with purple; and they twisted a crown of thorns, put it on His head, and began to salute Him, “Hail, King of the Jews!”

Then they struck Him on the head with a reed and spat on Him; and bowing the knee, they worshiped Him. And when they had mocked Him, they took the purple off Him, put His own clothes on Him, and led Him out to crucify Him" (Mark 15:16-20).

Stone pavement was built in 135 AD by Hadrian as a plaza and marketplace of his new city, Aelia Capitolina, which he built after ruining Jerusalem. The pavement was built from the large stones of the Antonia fortress destroyed by the Zealots in the 1st century AD.

 Game boards were carved into the pavement which are still visible, including the famous ''Game of the King". A similar game was used to humiliate Jesus during His passion,

“And when they had crucified Him, they divided his garments among them by casting lots” (Matthew 27:35).

This pavement has been historically identified as part of the Way of the Cross and the place where Jesus was judged by Pilate: 

"When Pilate therefore heard that saying, he brought Jesus out and sat down in the judgment seat in a place that is called The Pavement (Lithostrotos), but in Hebrew, Gabbatha" (John 19:13).

"Then they led Jesus from Caiaphas to the Praetorium, and it was early morning. But they themselves did not go into the Praetorium, lest they should be defiled, but that they might eat the Passover. Pilate then went out to them and said, ‘What accusation do you bring against this Man?’

They answered and said to him, ‘If He were not an evildoer, we would not have delivered Him up to you.’

Then Pilate said to them, ‘You take Him and judge Him according to your law.’

Therefore the Jews said to him, ‘It is not lawful for us to put anyone to death,’ that the saying of Jesus might be fulfilled which He spoke, signifying by what death He would die. Then Pilate entered the Praetorium again, called Jesus, and said to Him, ‘Are You the King of the Jews?’” (John 18:28-33).

Another excavated and preserved archaeological ruin is the arch built by Hadrian in 135 AD which historically has been identified as the balcony where Pilate brought Jesus to meet the crowd.

The arch was built to celebrate his victory over the Jews after crushing the Bar Kochba Revolt. One section is still visible over Via Dolorosa street and venerated as a place to which Jesus was brought by Pilate.

"Then Jesus came out, wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe. And Pilate said to them, ‘Behold the Man!’”(or Ecce Homo in Latin) (John 19:5).