Mideast's Largest Crusader-Era Hospital Unveiled

Part of a gigantic, thousand-year-old structure that served as the largest hospital in the Middle East during the Crusader period will soon be open to the public, following a 13-year excavation, the Israel Antiquities Authority announced Monday.

Located in the Christian Quarter of the Old City of Jerusalem and owned by the Muslim Waqf (an Islamic endowment of property held in trust for charitable or religious purposes), the 11th-century structure spans more than 150,000 square feet and is characterized by massive pillars and ribbed vaults, with ceilings as high as 20 feet.

The Grand Bazaar Company of East Jerusalem initiated the excavation and research in cooperation with the Antiquities Authority. It plans to turn the structure into a restaurant and visitor center, expected to open to the public in the next year.

On Monday, the Antiquities Authority unveiled a main hall, which is similar in appearance to the Knights' Hall in Acre, in northern Israel, and is estimated to constitute only a small part of what functioned as a massive hospital.

Renee Forestany and Amit Re'em, the excavation directors from the Israel Antiquities Authority, say that the hospital served the entire population of Jerusalem, helping as many as 2,000 patients from all religions. In addition to the medical departments, the hospital also functioned as an orphanage.

In a press release, the archaeologists said, "We've learned about the hospital from contemporary historical documents, most of which are written in Latin. These mention a sophisticated hospital that is as large and as organized as a modern hospital."

The hospital was constructed by a Christian military order known as the Knights Hospitaller to provide medical treatment for pilgrims who came to Jerusalem to die. According to the archaeologists, the Muslim Arab population was instrumental in assisting the Crusaders in establishing the hospital and teaching them medicine. Saladin, founder of the Ayyubid dynasty, reportedly lived nearby and helped preserve the structure, allowing Crusader monks to stay there.

Remnants of horse and camel bones found during the excavation, as well as metal for shoeing the animals, indicate that the structure also served as a stable during the Middle Ages.

A 1457 earthquake around Jerusalem likely destroyed most of the building, which remained in ruins until the 19th century. Part of the building was opened as a market during the Ottoman Empire, and it served as a fruit and vegetable market until 2000, when excavations began.

According to Monser Shwieki, manager of the project, part of the building will be converted into a restaurant, and "its patrons will be impressed by the enchanting atmosphere of the Middle Ages that prevails there."


gigantic - 巨大的
the Crusader period - 十字军东征时期(1096-1291)
antiquity - 古代
authority - 当局，官方，权威
Christian Quarter- 耶路撒冷基督区
Waqf - 瓦克夫。伊斯兰教法用语，亦译“卧各夫”、“卧各甫”。在北非亦作“哈伯斯”(Habs)或“胡伯斯”(Hubs)，法文作“哈波斯”(Habous)，为同义词·阿拉伯语音译。原意为“限制’、“保留”、“留置”，专指保留安拉对人世间一切财富的所有权，或留置部分有用益价值的土地、产业·这种永久性冻结所有权、限定用益权(只能用于弘扬主道事业)、禁止出售、抵押、典当、继承、赠予的土地、产业，泛称为“瓦克夫”，在中国亦称为“义地’、“义产”。中世纪教法学家据圣训提出的有关规定，即瓦克夫制度。
endowment - 捐赠，基金
charitable - 慈善的，宽大的
characterize - 描述（人或物）的特性；具有……的特征，塑造人物
ribbed - 有凸起花纹的；有罗纹的；有棱纹的
vault - 拱顶，地下室，墓穴
initiate - 发起
unveil - 揭幕
Acre - 以色列西北部港市
constitute - 构成
orphanage - 孤儿院
contemporary - 当时的；同级生
sophisticated - 复杂的，精致的，富有经验的
Knights Hospitaller - 医院骑士团
instrumental - 有帮助的
Ayyubid dynasty - 阿尤布王朝。 埃及和叙利亚地区库尔德人建立的伊斯兰教王朝（1171-1250年）
remnant - 残余，遗迹
shoe - 给（动物）钉掌
stable - 马厩，牛棚，畜舍
patron - 老主顾
enchanting - 迷人的，使人喜悦的
prevail - 盛行，占优势