A good friend of mine is a guide who lives on Mt Scopus, in Jerusalem. When I was visiting him recently he offered to show me some of the hidden secrets of the main campus of the Hebrew University, which is based there, and naturally I was happy to take him up on the offer!
I was genuinely surprised at the range of things there are to see on the campus, and warmly recommend it as a stop for those who think they have seen all that Jerusalem has to offer.
Quick facts & guide tips
| Where | Mt Scopus, on the north-eastern edge of Jerusalem, overlooking the Old City and the Judean Desert |
|---|---|
| Key sites | The botanical gardens, the Cave of Nicanor, the tombs of Menachem Ussishkin and Leon Pinsker, Ran Morin’s Tilted Tree sculpture, the amphitheatre, the student centre and the Hecht synagogue |
| Period | Second Temple Period (the Cave of Nicanor) alongside the modern Zionist story (the Hebrew University opened in 1925) |
| Access | The campus is open to visitors; a guided walk pulls together the sites which are otherwise easy to miss |
Botanical gardens and the Cave of Nicanor
We began with a stroll through the botanical gardens. Unlike in the University of Tel Aviv, the gardens meld into the rest of the campus instead of being a separate entity. I liked that they were much more accessible.
A short walk then took us to the Cave of Nicanor. Discovered in around 1902, this is a set of Jewish tombs from the Second Temple Period. The fascinating thing is that an inscription was discovered in one of the caves referring to Nicanor of Alexandria who donated the doors to the temple. The story of Nicanor, and his difficult journey to bring the doors to Jerusalem, is detailed in the Talmud, and so it is amazing to see the story corroborated by archaeological evidence.
Ussishkin, Pinsker and the Tilted Tree
In contrast with the ancient period, nearby it is possible to find the tombs of two major Zionists – Menachem Ussishkin and Leon Pinsker. The plan had been to create the Zionist pantheon here, on Mt Scopus – combining the link with the ancient times (the tomb of Nicanor) and celebrating the modern success of the first Hebrew University. However, after the Arab-Israeli War of 1948, Mt Scopus was cut off from the rest of Jewish Jerusalem; an island in the middle of the Jordanian East. It was still possible to access the campus, but it was with difficulty, and so the Israeli leadership decided to create a new pantheon on Mt Herzl, which remains to this day. Unfortunately it left Ussishkin and Pinsker out on a bit of a limb!
Leaving the graves behind, we continued through the campus. A sad reminder of the terrorist attack on the campus in July 2002 is present in the Tilted Tree sculpture by Ran Morin. The tree is at an angle as if impacted by the blast.
Amphitheatre, student centre and synagogue
Our next stop was in the impressive amphitheater. It was a nostalgic moment for me; the last time I was there was for a welcome ceremony when I made aliyah four years previously. This time it was a lot quieter, and we enjoyed the stunning view eastwards over the Judean desert.
We concluded with a quick visit in the main student centre, where we enjoyed some pictures of the opening ceremony of the university (quite the event back in 1925) and then popped into the beautiful synagogue, which has a lovely view over Jerusalem.
With a big thanks to Jeremy for showing me around!
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