First-Ever Hasmonean Building Unearthed in Jerusalem

Poto courtesy of Assaf Peretz
Israel Antiquities Authority

In recent months, remains of an impressive building from the Hasmonean period (2nd century BC) are being unearthed in excavations in Jerusalem's City of David compound. 

The building stands about 13 feet high and covers an area of about 210 square feet and it has broad walls which measuring more than 3.5 feet in thickness, made of the local limestone blocks, typical to Jerusalem's structures for thousands of years. 

Numerous pottery vessels were discovered inside the building, but it was mainly the coins that surprised the researchers. These indicated that the structure was built at the beginning of the 2nd century BC and continued into the Hasmonean period, during which time it underwent a significant changes inside it.

According to Dr. Doron Ben Ami and Yana Tchekhanovets, the excavation directors on behalf of the Israel Antiquities Authority, "The importance of this discovery is particularly prominent in light of the few buildings from Hasmonean Jerusalem, which were found in archaeological research, despite the many excavations conducted so far".

"Apart of the remains of the city's fortifications that were discovered in different parts of Jerusalem, pottery and some small findings, so far none (of the Hasmonean) city buildings themselves have been unearthed, and this discovery bridges some gap in the sequence of Jerusalem's settlement. The well-known Hasmonean city which is familiar to us from the historical descriptions of Josephus, suddenly receives a concrete expression".

The excavations are being carried out by the Israel Antiquities Authority and are sponsored by the "Friends of City of David".