Rediscovering Jerusalem's Ancient Walls: A Link to the Past

(Video: Yaniv Berman, Israel Antiquities Authority and City of David)

Amid archaeological excavations at the City of David National Park, remnants of the city wall built during the First Temple period in the Kingdom of Judah to protect Jerusalem from the east have been recently uncovered.

These excavations are conducted by the Israel Antiquities Authority, in collaboration with the Elad Association, as part of the park's development.

The excavation directors, Dr. Philipp Vukosavović from the Ancient Jerusalem Research Center, and Dr. Joe Uziel and Ortal Kalaf from the Israel Antiquities Authority, explain: "The city's walls shielded Jerusalem from several assaults during the reigns of the kings of Judah, until the Babylonians broke through and conquered the city. Archaeological digs have exposed many indicators of destruction over the years, including buildings destroyed by fire. However, not everything was destroyed, and parts of the walls that defended the city for decades or more remain standing to this day."

The new segment connects two previously uncovered sections on the eastern slope. In the 1960s, British archaeologist Kathleen Kenyon revealed part of the wall at the slope's northern end and dated it to the Kingdom of Judah. About a decade later, archaeologist Yigal Shiloh exposed a long section of the wall in the southern part of the slope.

Over the years, there has been debate about whether these impressive remains are indeed remnants of a wall. The Israel Antiquities Authority states that with the new segment bridging past discoveries, it appears the argument is settled, affirming it as the eastern wall of ancient Jerusalem.

Restored segments dismantled during early 20th-century excavations now follow nearly 30 additional meters of wall that survived to a height of 2.5 meters and a width of up to 5 meters. The conquest of the city by the Babylonians is described in the Book of Kings II: "And the walls of Jerusalem were broken down by the entire Babylonian army under the commander of the guard" (Chapter 25, Verse 10).

It seems the Babylonians could not destroy the eastern side of the wall, likely due to the steepness of the eastern slope of the City of David, descending toward the Kidron at a 30-degree angle. Destruction and ruins are observed in a structure adjacent to the wall, uncovered in previous excavation seasons. Inside were rows of storage jars, smashed within the ruined structure during its burning and collapse. The jar handles bear "Rosette" seals, identified with the late Kingdom of Judah.

Nearby, a Babylonian stone seal was found, depicting a figure facing stylized symbols of the Babylonian gods Marduk and Nabu. A short distance from the seal, a clay bulla (seal impression) belonging to a Judean man named "Tsafan" was discovered.