Jerusalem Cardo Mural

When the Romans destroyed Jerusalem in 70 AD, they renamed Jerusalem “Aelia Capitolina” and carried out an extensive remodeling of the city. As was their usual custom, they constructed a main street called “The Cardo” that had a north-south orientation. The word “cardiology” comes from the concept of this “main artery” in city life. Having been crucified some 40 years earlier, Jesus never saw the Cardo. Jerusalem has grown taller through the centuries because of earthquakes, war, intentional remodeling and countless rebuilding projects. In order to reach the past, archaeologists have to dig down through the layers of older civilizations. The Via Dolorosa is an example of a street that is only 500-600 years old. The path Jesus took to the cross is buried beneath the modern streets and buildings of Jerusalem’s Old City.