Ancient Secrets Beneath the Western Wall: A New Archaeological Find

Not all of the Western Wall is visible to the eye: eight of its layers, buried under soil for about 1700 years, have recently been uncovered by the Israel Antiquities Authority in the Western Wall tunnels area of Jerusalem. These layers are well-preserved and constructed from massive stones, akin to those familiar from the visible Wall.

In a press conference held this morning by the Israel Antiquities Authority beneath Wilson's Arch, the newly revealed layers were presented for the first time. Rabbi of the Western Wall, Rabbi Shmuel Rabinowitz, attended the press conference and stated: "Time and again, astounding archaeological findings allow our generation to touch the ancient history of our nation and the heritage of Judaism's deep connection to Jerusalem. Each such discovery excites me deeply. Before us lies an extensive excavation work, and I am confident that as we delve deeper, we will reach evidence from earlier periods of the Jewish people's deep connection to the Land of Israel and Jerusalem." Dr. Yuval Baruch, an archaeologist from the Jerusalem area at the Israel Antiquities Authority, said that the initiative to dig beneath Wilson's Arch results from a joint initiative by the Israel Antiquities Authority and the Western Wall Heritage Foundation, aiming to establish a new tourist route in the Western Wall tunnels that will expose visitors to discoveries made in recent years: remnants of a magnificent building, ritual baths, and the layers now uncovered.

In addition to the layers, dated to the Second Temple period, the archaeologists discovered a structure of... a theater, built by the Romans above the layers that remained after the Second Temple's destruction. The hypothesis is that this small theater was part of efforts to erase Jerusalem's Jewish past, as the Romans renamed the city 'Aelia Capitolina' and expelled the Jews. From findings in the area, it seems that the theater was never used and was in fact abandoned towards the end of its construction, which was never completed. Why didn't the Romans finish building the theater? Archaeologists suggest the construction halt may have been due to the Bar Kokhba revolt, which redirected Roman efforts to more pressing matters.