1. Conservation of the Temple Complex at Horvat Omrit
Damage Mitigation and Ongoing Protection of the Herodian Shrine
Macalester College – St. Paul, MN
Michael S. Kreher
Temple 2 - Temple 1 - Shrine
Top, Left to Right: Jack Reece, Kacie Riley, Andrew
Overman, Michael Kreher, Abigail Perrero, Louis Hunter
Bottom, Left to Right: Nanette Goldman, Ben Shields,
Chanen Hanson, Kelsey Coia
Andrew Overman cleaning dirt and
debris from the top of the Shrine.
Students used very fine mortar to fill
cracks along top, faces, and banisters
of shrine to prevent further water
damage.
Area of shrine exposed to elements.
Plaster on top and along sides of the
Shrine showing damage from
exposure to water and dirt. Proposed
roof designed to guide water from top
of Shrine into adjacent cella.
First section of the roof being
transported from Kibbutz Kfar Szold to
the site by Jack Reece, myself, and
Andrew Overman. The roof was built
in two parts for ease of transportation
and maneuverability in situ.
Roof structure in place atop Shrine.
An additional gutter was installed
along the edge of the roof to help
facilitate the movement of water away
from the banisters and steps leading
to the shrine.
Horvat Omrit Temple Complex, view of the shrine
in the eastern cella of Temple 1. Taken during the
first days of the conservation season, this image
shows the condition of the shrine before any
conservation efforts had been made. Plants were
growing from the soil on top of the shrine. Over
the course of the season, we were able to remove
organic material and soil to prevent more plants
taking root. We also worked to prevent
microbiological growth on the plaster facing of the
shrine. The installed roof acts as a preventative
measure to preserve our conservation efforts.
The Early Shrine is bisected by the interior wall of
Temple 1, used as part of the latter structure’s
foundation. The section in the western cella had
been covered by a roof structure in a previous
season. The remaining section in the eastern
cella was uncovered and became a focal point of
our conservation efforts.
mskreher@umn.edu
michaelskreher@gmail.com