Holyland Model of Jerusalem

The model, designed by Michael Avi-Yonah,[1] was moved from its original location at the Holyland Hotel in Bayit VeGan, Jerusalem, to a new site at the Israel Museum in June 2006.

[2] According to Yael Padan, the model was built in 1962–1966, a time when almost the entire area it depicts was under Jordanian rule and therefore off-limits for Israeli archaeologists and visitors alike.

This endowed the model with a multi-layered purpose, of replacing the original site, educating the Israeli public, and creating a sense of national belonging and continuity.

[3] According to Annabel J. Wharton, the model, measuring 2,000 square metres (22,000 sq ft), was commissioned in 1966 by the banker Hans Kroch, the owner of the Holyland Hotel, in memory of his son, Yaakov, an IDF soldier who was killed in Israel's 1948 War of Independence.

The model was designed by Israeli historian and geographer Michael Avi-Yonah based on the writings of Flavius Josephus and other historical sources.

Scale model of Jerusalem, with the Herod's Temple in foreground, during the Second Temple period ( c. first century CE ), now in Israel Museum .
The Model of Herod's Temple at the Holyland Hotel in 1998. Elevated view from the east.