An ancient structure uncovered on the eastern slope of the City of David inside 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 contained eight rooms filled with artifacts such as an altar, a standing stone, an oil press, and a wine press.
Excavation director Eli Shukron noted in an article published in the scientific journal Antiqot that the uncovered structure may have been utilized by residents of Judah for cultic or religious practices.
This study suggests that the structure, which is in overall exceptional shape, dates back to the First Temple period and was revealed during excavations performed by the Israel Antiquities Authority in the City of David.
ANCIENT TOMB BELONGING TO DOCTOR WHO TREATED EGYPTIAN PHARAOHS DISCOVERED BY ARCHAEOLOGISTS
“When we began excavating the City of David in 2010, we discovered that the site had been sealed with fill from the 8th century BCE (Before the Common Era), indicating it had fallen out of use during that time,” Shukron stated. “The standing stone we uncovered remained upright in its original place, and the other rooms in the structure were also well-preserved.”
Shukron’s article proposed that the structure, comprised of eight rock-hewn rooms, was used for ritualistic purposes, located not far from the Temple on the Temple Mount, just a few hundred meters away.
This is the only known structure of its type from the period in Jerusalem and one of only a few found throughout Israel.
HIDDEN STAIRCASE IN CHURCH LEADS ARCHAEOLOGISTS TO UNEARTH 400-YEAR-OLD BURIAL VAULT
The structure itself covers an area of about 220 square meters and includes eight rooms, each serving different functions.
One room housed an oil press for oil production, while another contained a wine press for winemaking.
Other rooms featured a carved installation with a drainage channel identified by researchers as an altar, a large standing stone, and a floor marked with V-shaped carvings, although the purpose of these carvings remains unclear.
ARCHAEOLOGISTS UNCOVER ONE OF THE WORLD’S OLDEST CHRISTIAN CHURCHES
Shukron hypothesized that the carvings may have served as a base for a tripod used during ritual activities.
On the edge of the structure is a small cave containing a cache of items dating back to the 8th century BCE, which included cooking pots, jars with fragments of ancient Hebrew inscriptions, loom weights, scarabs, stamped seals, and grinding stones for crushing grains.
Shukron and his team believe the structure was used until the 8th century BCE, during the reign of the Kings of Judah.
ARTIFACT WITH STRANGE INSCRIPTION DUG UP AT HOLY SITE IN JERUSALEM: ‘UNUSUAL LOCATION’
“The structure ceased to function during the 8th century BCE, possibly as part of King Hezekiah’s religious reform,” Shukron explained.
The Bible recounts that Hezekiah aimed to centralize worship at the Temple in Jerusalem, leading to the abolition of ritual sites across the kingdom.
It also describes how, during the First Temple period, other ritual sites operated outside the temple, with Kings Hezekiah and Josiah implementing reforms to eliminate these sites.
ARCHAEOLOGISTS STUMPED BY STRANGE ALIEN-LIKE FIGURINE DATING BACK 7,000 YEARS: ‘RAISES QUESTIONS’
“Nearly 3,000 years later, Jerusalem’s Biblical heritage continues to be unearthed in the City of David, and with time, its relevance and meaning only continues to deepen, resonating with billions around the globe,” Ze’ev Orenstein, the director of internal affairs at the City of David, stated to Fox News Digital. “Unlike most sites of antiquity, Jerusalem’s Biblical heritage remains both timeless and timely – not confined to museums and history books – but a necessary aspect in understanding the world today, in the past, present, and future.”
The northern part of the structure was first uncovered in 1909 by British explorer Montague Parker, who searched in Jerusalem for the Ark of the Covenant and the Temple treasures.
It wasn’t until 2010 that Shukron began excavating the property, which continued over several excavation seasons.
“This discovery in the City of David reaffirms the Jewish people’s enduring bond with Jerusalem – not merely as a matter of faith but as a matter of fact – spanning from Biblical times to the present day,” Orenstein concluded.
