Lion head handle

When presented to the Museum, this lion head was believed to have been a twelfth century door knocker from the Order’s first hospital in the Muristan, where this item was discovered. In 2016, as a result of research undertaken by the Bearers of the Cross project, it was reidentified as a Roman sarcophagus handle which may have been repurposed at the hospital.

This object is on display

Object type

Metalwork

Date

Production: 1st century - 3rd century

Subject(s)

Hospitals
Bearers of the Cross

Dimensions

Diameter: 120mm

Materials and technique

Bronze, cast and engraved

Related place(s)

Muristan
Old City of Jerusalem
East Jerusalem

Provenance

Discovered in the ruins of the Muristan, Jerusalem.

Exhibition history

Jerusalem: A Medical Diagnosis, Tower of David Museum, 1 May 2014-30 April 2015

Credit line

Gift of Sir Harry Luke, 1949

Catalogue number

5616