Archaeologists have discovered a religious shrine in the ancient heart of Jerusalem frozen in time for nearly 3,000 years.
The shrine was found on the east slope of the City of David, near the Temple Mount in Jerusalem. The well-preserved structure consists of eight rooms, which include an altar and a sacred standing stone.
Experts believe that this structure may be referenced in the Bible due to its alignment with historical events. Specifically, it aligns with the story from the Bible about Hezekiah, who was a significant figure in ancient Israelite history.
Hezekiah is known for his efforts to reform religious practices, particularly by removing idolatrous worship sites. According to the Bible, he destroyed such places of worship as part of his religious reforms.
Eli Shukron, exacavation director for the Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA), who dated it to Hezekiah’s reign, thinks this could be one of the described sites.
In an article published to the scientific journal Antiqot, he said: “The structure ceased to function during the 8th century BC, possibly as part of King Hezekiah’s religious reform.”
“According to the Bible, Hezekiah sought to centralise worship at the temple in Jerusalem, abolishing the ritual sites scattered across the kingdom.
“The Bible describes how, during the First Temple period, additional ritual sites operated outside the temple.
“It says two kings of Judah – Hezekiah and Josiah – implemented reforms to eliminate these sites and concentrate worship at the temple.”
Both kings are identified as paternal ancestors of Jesus by the Gospel of Matthew.
Calling it “the most dramatic and important find in the excavation”, Mr Shukron said: “This is what makes this place a cultic site. When we uncovered it, we found it standing in its place, with stones around it.
“The standing stone was covered with earth; it was preserved – no one destroyed it. When we found it, it was exactly as it was here 2,800 years ago.”
Archaeologists also discovered a hoard of artifacts from the 8th century BC, sealed behind a stone wall in a cave.
Artifacts included cooking pots, jars with fragments of ancient Hebrew inscriptions, loom weights, scarabs, stamped seals with decorative motifs, and grinding stones used for crushing grains.
The site lies in the ancient heart of Jerusalem – sometimes called the City of David – just a few hundred metres from Temple Mount, and once co-existed with the First Temple there, reports The Sun.
Amichai Eliyahu, Israel’s Minister of Heritage, said of the new find: “This unique structure uncovered in the City of David is an exciting testimony to Jerusalem’s rich past.
“Such discoveries make our connection and historic roots – going back thousands of years – tangible, in Jerusalem and other sites where the Jewish culture and belief system emerged.”
