An ancient structure on the eastern slope of the City of David inside the Jerusalem Walls National Park is believed to have been used for ritual practices during the time of the First Temple, according to a new study.
The structure had eight rooms that contained things such as an altar, a standing stone, an oil press, and a wine press.
Excavation director Eli Shukron said in an article published in the scientific journal Anticott that the open structure may have been used by Judah’s inhabitants for cult or religious practices.
The study shows that the structure, which is in exceptional shape overall, dates back to the First Temple period and was uncovered during excavations by the Israel Antiquities Authority in the City of David.
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The religious structure discovered in the City of David is the only structure of its kind found in Jerusalem from this period. (Credit: Kobi Harati, David Shahar)
Shukron said, “When we began excavating the City of David in 2010, we found that the site had been sealed since the 8th century BC (before the Common Era), indicating that it had been in use during that time.” Was out.” “The standing stone we discovered was standing upright in its original place, and other rooms in the structure were also well preserved.”
Shukron’s article proposed that the structure, which consisted of eight rock-hewn rooms, was used for ritual purposes not far from the temple on the Temple Mount, about a few hundred meters away.
It is the only known structure of its type in Jerusalem and one of only a few found in Israel.
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A carved installation is identified as an altar, with a channel for liquid drainage. (Credit: Kobi Harati, David Shahar)
The structure covers an area of approximately 220 square meters and has eight rooms, each used for different purposes.
In one room there was an oil press for oil production. The other contained a wine press for making wine.
Other rooms contained things such as a carved installation with a drainage channel, which researchers identified as an altar; A large standing stone; and a floor with V-shaped carving marks, although researchers are puzzled about the purposes of the carvings.
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Mysterious carvings were discovered on the floor of the structure. (Credit: Kobi Harati, David Shahar)
Shukron speculates that the carving may have been used as the base for a tripod used during ritual activities.
There is a small cave on the side of the structure that contains a hoard of objects dating back to the 8th century BC. Items in the cache included cooking utensils, jars with fragments of ancient Hebrew inscriptions, loom weights, scarabs, stamped seals, and grinding stones for crushing grain.
Shukron and his team believe the structure was used as far back as the 8th century BC, when the kings of Judah ruled.
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A collection of artifacts exposed in a cave adjacent to the structure. “The cave served as a repository for artifacts.” (Credit: Eli Shukron)
“The structure ceased to function during the eighth century BCE, possibly as part of the religious reform of King Hezekiah,” Shukron said.
The Bible says that Hezekiah wanted to centralize worship at the Temple in Jerusalem, and in doing so, he eliminated ritual sites located throughout the kingdom.
It also describes that during the First Temple period, other sites used for rituals were used outside the Temple, and kings Hezekiah and Josiah implemented reforms to eliminate the sites.
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Illustration of carved rooms discovered in the City of David. (Illustration: Shalom Keveler, David Shahar)
“Nearly 3,000 years later, the biblical heritage of Jerusalem is being rediscovered in the City of David, and as time goes on, its relevance and meaning continues to grow, meaning not just for millions of people around the world, but for billions of Is also for. Eve Orenstein, director of internal affairs for the City of David, told Fox News Digital. “Unlike most sites of antiquity, Jerusalem’s biblical heritage remains both timeless and timely – not limited to museums and history books – but an essential component in understanding today’s world – past, present and future.”
The northern part of the structure was discovered in 1909 by the British explorer Montague Parker, who discovered the Ark of the Covenant and the temple treasures in Jerusalem.
It was not until 2010 that Shukron began excavating the property, which lasted several excavation seasons.
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Orenstein said, “This discovery at the City of David once again confirms the 3,000+ year-old bond of the Jewish people with Jerusalem – not just as a matter of faith, but as a matter of fact – from Biblical times to modern times.” Until the day.” ,
