(Photo: Emil Aladjem, Israel Antiquities Authority)
Archaeologists in Israel have uncovered part of the ancient city walls in Jerusalem.
The section dates back to the 2nd century BC, and was likely built following the famous revolt of the Maccabees against the Seleucids.
Described as being one of the most complete and longest wall sections found in Jerusalem, the discovery was found on the grounds of the Tower of David, which itself is within a historic part of the city referred to as the Kishle.
Dr Amit Re’im and Dr Marion Zindel, excavation directors on behalf of the Israel Antiquities Authority, said of the find, “The newly uncovered section, known in ancient historical sources as the ‘First Wall’, is particularly impressive in both its size and its degree of preservation – over 40 meters long, and about 5 meters wide.
“The wall is meticulously built of large, heavy stones, with a chiselled boss typical of this period.
“Originally, the massive wall rose to a height of more than ten meters! But today, only a stump remains.
“During the Second Temple period, the Hasmonean city wall also surrounded Mount Zion, where sections of it have been found, as well as in the City of David, in the Citadel of David courtyard, and alongside the outer façade of the western city wall of Jerusalem’s Old City.”
One other point of note was that the wall appears to have been deliberately and systematically destroyed, rather than simply suffering the effects of 2,000 years of neglect.
It is unknown who ordered the destruction of the wall, although archaeologists think it may have been the Hasmonean ruler John Hyrcanus I, possibly as part of a peace deal with a rival.
The other suspect is Herod the Great, the man who according to the gospels ordered the slaughter of the innocents in order to kill the young Jesus.
Herod conquered Jerusalem with the help of the Romans and had the last Hasmonean king executed. It is possible that Herod ordered the destruction of Hasmonean building projects in order to make a political statement that the days of the Hasmoneans were truly over.
During the 1980s archaeologists found a multitude of ancient missiles at the base of another part of the wall. The catapault stones, arrow heads and sling bullets are believed to date to a Hasmonean era siege of the city.
