uncovering ancient Jerusalem
Ophel 2018 HWAC Excavators
Rachael exploring the many shafts in the cave
Rachel
Justice and rachael
Happy to be working
Taking out a stone
13.6 Reese goes down a shaft
13.5 Inside a cave
Dec Slide 12
Dec Slide 11
Slide 10.10

2018 Season Begins

2018 Season Begins

JERUSALEM – After more than four years, our excavations on the Ophel have begun again this week under the direction of archaeologist Dr. Eilat Mazar. The team has begun by cleaning and clearing debris at the site, reinforcing walkways and steps, and making ready general preparations for the excavation work to begin.

There are two primary areas of focus for this coming dig. The first will be familiar to Key to David’s City readers—a continuation of excavations in the large Area B Cave (partially excavated in the 2013 season—see a video of this cave here. The cave is now classified as Area M). We will be looking to understand just what the cave was used for during its various phases of use, from the Byzantine period all the way back to (potentially) the First Temple period or even earlier.

The second area will be a continuation of the upper part of Area A (2013), along with breaking ground into a large adjacent zone of the same structure. This will be classified as Area D. One of the primary goals is to find the continuation of the Byzantine House, within which was found the golden menorah treasure horde.

“We are delighted to go back to the site and reveal its most fascinating layers of Jerusalemite history,” Dr. Mazar commented. We’re certainly excited for another round of digging! Stay tuned to keytodavidscity.com to keep current with the new discoveries, write-ups and video entries.

New Release: Excavations at the Summit of the City of David (2005-2008) Final Report Volume 1

New Release: Excavations at the Summit of the City of David (2005-2008) Final Report Volume 1

From 2005 to 2008 archaeological excavations were carried out at the summit of the City of David under the directorship of Dr. Eilat Mazar on behalf of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. This volume presents the impressive remains of the Stepped Stone Structure of the palace of King David; the collapse of a structure destroyed by the Babylonians in 586 BCE and a section of Nehemiah’s city wall erected in the 5th century BCE.

These findings have dramatically altered previously held conceptions of the development of ancient Jerusalem and provide striking tangible evidence for its Biblical narratives.

Volume 1 of the final report is 560 color pages and can be purchased through the Israel Exploration Society (ies@vms.huji.ac.il) for 78$. Simply email the IES and ask for an order form to purchase the book.

Rich History Unearthed in Jerusalem: Gold Treasure With Jewish Menorah Found Near Temple Mount

Copyright: Eilat Mazar.
To watch this video in Hebrew, click here.
.כדי לצפות בסרטון זה בעברית לחץ כאן

Rich History Unearthed in Jerusalem

Archaeological digs on the Ophel have occurred on and off since the middle of the 19th century. But only in recent years have royal structures been uncovered in Jerusalem that closely correlate to the biblical descriptions of King Solomon’s massive building projects in the books of Kings and Chronicles.

In the most recent phase of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem Ophel excavations, this past summer, Eilat Mazar and her team set out to uncover more remains from the Solomonic period–and they did. But no one expected the most stunning discovery of all to come in the first week of the dig, after excavators had barely broken through the surface of a new area. (more…)