It was a short tour with only one room containing an excavation along with some descriptions. There was also a short movie of a re-enactment that was very interesting and helped to explain the history of the Old City and in particular the hosue itself.
The Burnt House (Katros House)
Following the Six Day War, Israeli archaeologists began digging extensively in the newly recaptured Jewish Quarter of the Old City, uncovering many invaluable discoveries. One of the most impressive of these, the Burnt House, was found under a cloak of ash, six meters below street level. Artifacts found at the site indicate that the house belonged to an upper-class Jewish family and was set alight when the armies of Titus stormed Jerusalem in 70 CE as a reprisal for Jewish resistance.
Besides the house itself, visitors can browse a collection of artifacts dating from the Second Temple period including a stone weight inscribed with the name of the family that used to live in the house – Katros. The Burnt House screens a film (available in both Hebrew and English) that dramatizes the waning days of the Katros family, holed into the house as the Romans close in. The film affords visitors the chance to learn about the revolt against the Romans and the political strife that divided Judea’s Jewish community in the years leading up to the sacking of Jerusalem and the destruction of the Second Temple.
TripAdvisor Reviews
Based on 65 traveler reviews“Burnt House”
“Short and interesting”
The visit was about half an hour. There are a few artifacts discovered there and a movie which explains the story of a family in the time of the second temple.
“air conditioned small re-enactment within Jewish quarter”
The air conditioning was wonderfully refreshing. The simulated story with narration was a bit cheesy but gave context to the history of the area. More entertaining for kids than just looking at archaeological findings.