Amateur historians uncovered the oldest Jewish cemetery in the UK, dating back to the Norman conquest, in London, according to British media reports.
The cemetery, discovered on the Barbican estate, is understood to date back to 1070 and is located near ancient Roman walls.
The cemetery was used for more than two centuries, but was forgotten once Jews were expelled from Britain in 1290 by King Edward I. For a short time, the cemetery was known as the “Jews’ Garden,” according to the Jewish Chronicle, although it later fell into a state of disrepair.
The site was further damaged during World War II, when German planes destroyed much of the estate and neighboring lands during the Blitz.
The historic discovery
Chief Rabbi Sir Ephraim Mirvis spoke at a ceremony organized by the Jewish Square Mile Foundation to commemorate the rediscovery.
Gaby Morris, a trustee of the Jewish Square Mile Foundation, told the JC, "We’re not historians. It was very exciting as we began to understand and put flesh and bones onto it, realising these are real people.”
The historic site runs under Morris’s home.
Howard Morris, chair of the Jewish Square Mile Foundation, added to the JC, “The cemetery would have given Jewish people a sense of continuity and community. By being allowed this place to bury their dead, they could make their lives and their families’ lives in the city."
“For a marginalized people whose existence depended on the ‘pleasure’ of the King, it was proof of a measure of respect for their faith and traditions,” he added.