Discovery Near the Western Wall: Unearthing a Jordanian Ammo Cache from the Six-Day War

A cache of Jordanian ammunition was uncovered today (Wednesday) during excavations conducted by the Israel Antiquities Authority beneath the lobby of the Western Wall Tunnels site. The ammunition was concealed at the bottom of a water cistern from the British Mandate period. Israeli police bomb disposal experts came to inspect the items.

The excavations are being carried out in collaboration with the Western Wall Heritage Foundation, in preparation for opening a new tour that will be added to the existing Western Wall Tunnel tours.

Dr. Barak Monnickendam-Givon and Tehila Sadiel, excavation managers from the Israel Antiquities Authority, announced: "During the excavation of the water cistern, we encountered a surprise – around ten full magazines of Bren machine guns and parts from a British Lee Enfield rifle. We usually find artifacts from a thousand or two thousand years ago, but this time we received a greeting frozen in time – 53 years old."

"This weapon cache was likely purposefully hidden by the Jordanian Legion soldiers during the Six-Day War, perhaps while the IDF was liberating the Old City. The water cistern we excavated served the residences of the Mughrabi Quarter, which was built in the area of what is now the Western Wall Plaza," added Monnickendam-Givon.

A broken magazine with bullets of a Bren gun (Credit: Yoli Schwartz, Israel Antiquities Authority)

A bayonet from a Lee Enfield rifle (Credit: Yoli Schwartz, Israel Antiquities Authority)

Assaf Peretz from the Israel Antiquities Authority, who identified the ammunition, noted: "This is ammunition manufactured in the UK at a plant called Greenwood and Batley LTD, located in Leeds, Yorkshire. According to the markings on the casing (the backside of the bullets), the ammunition was produced in 1956 and was obtained by the Jordanian Legion." He added that "the discovery of this ammunition cache aligns with two other Bren machine guns found about ten years ago in another water cistern at the Western Wall Plaza, during an excavation by Dr. Shlomit Weksler-Bdolach, also from the Israel Antiquities Authority."

A statement from the Western Wall Heritage Foundation said: "In addition to the magnificent discoveries from the Second Temple period, we are delighted to find relics from the more recent war, which restored the heart of the Jewish people to embrace the Western Wall stones. This revelation allows us, the holders of the miracle, to recognize the wonders of the Creator in this place."

The water cistern where the ammunition was concealed (Credit: Western Wall Heritage Foundation)

As a reminder, about a month ago, the Israel Antiquities Authority and the Western Wall Heritage Foundation announced the discovery of an intriguing underground system hewn into the rock from the Second Temple period, located beneath an impressive 1,400-year-old public building.