Burnt House Site (Jerusalem, Israel)

The Burnt House Museum (a.k.a. Katros House) is a museum in Jerusalem presenting an excavated house from the Second Temple period. It is situated 6 m (20 ft) below current street level in the Jewish Quarter of the Old City. The house was destroyed in a great fire during the Roman siege of Jerusalem in 70 CE. Artifacts found include coins minted between 67 and 69 CE, stone vessels indicating adherence to purity laws, glass perfume containers, and an inscribed stone weight linking the house to the Katros family, a priestly family mentioned in the Talmud. Evidence of destruction by fire includes burnt stones, charred wood, and layers of ash and soot, as well as a young woman's lower arm skeleton and an iron spear. The museum displays the house's ruins, archaeological finds, and a 25-minute video that reconstructs the life of the priestly family and their experiences during the Great Jewish Revolt and the destruction of the city.