Painted Tombs of Marissa

  1. Defence Walls

Indeed in the great defence walls lies the building history of the Jews. They were hurriedly built and frequently destroyed. Destruction and reparation alternated so consistently, that each successive city within was little more than a temporary housement, at all times subservient to the more important work of defence. Under such conditions nothing flourished, least of all architecture. Building art became a thing of bare temporary utility.

  2. Streets

Streets (Fig. 1) were laid out without method; narrow, tortuous alleys broken into by projections, founded at the will of each individual builder, served as main thoroughfares (Bible Sidelights, 95; Excavation of Gezer, Vol I, p. 167 ff); cf similarity of conditions with streets of Mediterranean city of Philakopi (Journal RIBA, XI, 531). See CITY. Masonry was usually of rough unhewn stones, un skilfully laid without mortar, and buildings were rarely on the square. Under these conditions the enthusiasm displayed in the description of Solomon’s work can be understood.

Dickie, Arch. C. “Architecture.” Ed. James Orr et al. The International Standard Bible Encyclopaedia 1915 : 236. Print.