Royal Stoa (Jerusalem)

Royal Stoa
The roof and upper portion of a columned structure rises above a very high stone wall which has wide pilasters decorating the upper part of the wall and a wide square and steps at the foot of the wall.
Proposed reconstruction of the Royal Stoa at the Holyland Model of Jerusalem
Alternative nameהסטיו המלכותי
LocationTemple Mount, Jerusalem
Coordinates31°46′33.42″N 35°14′10.38″E / 31.7759500°N 35.2362167°E / 31.7759500; 35.2362167
Typebasilica
History
BuilderHerod the Great
MaterialStone
FoundedFirst century BCE
AbandonedFirst century CE
PeriodsLate Roman Republic, Early Roman Empire
Site notes
Excavation datesNone
ConditionUnexcavated
Public accessLimited

The Royal Stoa (Hebrew: הסטיו המלכותי, romanized: Ha-stav ha-Malkhuti; also known as the Royal Colonnade, Royal Portico, Royal Cloisters, Royal Basilica or Stoa Basileia) was an ancient basilica constructed by Herod the Great during his renovation of the Temple Mount at the end of the first century BCE. Probably Herod's most magnificent secular construction, the three-aisled structure was described by Josephus as deserving "to be mentioned better than any other under the sun." The Royal Stoa overlooked Jerusalem's residential and commercial quarters, and at its southwestern corner was the place from which a ram's horn was blown to announce the start of holy days.

The Royal Stoa was destroyed by the Roman army during the sack of Jerusalem in 70 CE. Its site is currently inaccessible to archaeologists since it is occupied by the Al-Aqsa Mosque. However, artifacts from the Stoa have been recovered both from excavations at the foot of the platform and in secondary use in later constructions. This evidence has confirmed details given in the accounts of the historian Josephus, and has also allowed comparison of the Royal Stoa's decoration with that used in other, contemporaneous monumental buildings.