Crusader House of Bones in the Field of Blood
The Valley of Hinnom (also called Gehenna or Gehinnom) is a valley that stretches to the west and south of the old city of Jerusalem. According to Jewish belief, this is the place where the worship of the Moloch cult took place at the end of the First Temple period. As part of the terrible pagan worship, the cult followers would sacrifice their children. The tradition attached to the valley was so horrific that it gave its name to the place where the wicked dwell after their death - Hell (Gehinnom in Hebrew).
According to the New Testament, Judas Iscariot, who betrayed Jesus and handed him over to the Roman soldiers, received 30 silver Shekels for his actions. With this money he bought a plot of land in the Valley of Hinnom, which is why the place is called "Field of Blood", or "Akeldama” in Aramaic. According to another version, after realizing his wrongdoing Judas returned the money to the priests, and they purchased a plot of land in the valley that was used for burial.
The entire area was part of the necropolis of Jerusalem during the Second Temple period, and to this day many burial caves can be found there. Beginning in the 4th century AD, the place was used as a public burial ground for Christian pilgrims who died during their visit to Jerusalem.
During the Crusader period, a structure for mass burial was erected on the site, which provided an easy and economical solution to the high mortality rate among pilgrims who arrived in Jerusalem. The building was covered with vaults and the roof had openings, through which the dead were thrown inside. In sources from the period, the building is called Carnier or "House of Bones". Parts of the building have survived to this day and can be found near the Saint Onuphrius Monastery.
In the Middle Ages, a tradition started that the soil in the place is holy and that it has special qualities, allowing bodies to rot in just 3 days without bad smells. According to another tradition, those buried there were exempt from the threat of trial at the judgment day. Due to these beliefs, soil began to be taken from the site and sent to cemeteries throughout Europe.
The area continued to be used for burials during the following centuries as well. Its ownership changed over the years and it belonged, among others, to theKnights Hospitaller, the Armenians and the Greeks. The Turks called the place Sharnia, a mispronunciation of the word Carnier, and used it for executions as well. Burial in the place continued until a relatively late stage, and stopped only at the beginning of the 19th century.
(Anecdote authored by: עמיר)
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