Archaeologists uncover potential proof of two,100-year-old ceasefire between warring kingdoms in Jerusalem

Archaeologists have completed uncovering the longest steady stays of an historical wall that encircled Jerusalem, together with potential proof of a 2,100-year-old ceasefire between warring kingdoms.

Final week, archaeologists completed excavating essentially the most full half ever found of the foundations of the partitions, which surrounded Jerusalem in the course of the time of the Hasmonean Kingdom, when the story of Hanukkah befell. The invention comes nearly precisely one yr after a uncommon assortment of historical cash was unearthed by Israeli researchers, who referred to as the discover an “archaeological Hanukkah miracle.”

In Hebrew, Hanukkah means “dedication,” and the vacation marks the rededication of the Temple in Jerusalem within the second century B.C., after a small group of Jewish fighters liberated it from occupying international forces, and the Hasmonean Kingdom that adopted.

Jews have fun the eight-day vacation, which this yr begins on Dec. 14, with the ritual of lighting a nightly candle, in honor of the tiny provide of ritually pure oil that they discovered within the temple that lasted for eight nights as an alternative of only one. Many additionally eat fried meals corresponding to potato pancakes, referred to as latkes, to memorialize this miraculously long-lasting oil.

The Hasmonean wall basis, whose excavation was completed final week in Jerusalem, was possible constructed just a few a long time after the story of Hanukkah by the identical rulers. It is nearly 50 meters (164 toes) lengthy, round half the size of a soccer subject, and round 5 meters (16 toes) huge. It held partitions, which in accordance with estimations and a few historic writings, have been taller than the present partitions surrounding Jerusalem’s Previous Metropolis.

A lot of the present partitions surrounding Jerusalem’s Previous Metropolis date again a whole lot of years to the Ottoman Period.

The Hasmonean partitions encircled an space a lot bigger than the present Previous Metropolis of Jerusalem, with 60 watchtowers alongside the wall that have been greater than 10 meters (33 toes) tall, in accordance with historical writings. The half not too long ago uncovered is without doubt one of the longest sections discovered intact from the inspiration of the Hasmonean partitions.

Separation wall and ceasefire

Probably the most fascinating points of the inspiration was that the wall above it appears to have been purposefully and uniformly dismantled to a uniform top, not chaotically destroyed by the ravages of time or conflict, stated Dr. Amit Re’em, one of many lead archaeologists for the mission from the Israel Antiquities Authority.

Specialists puzzled why any chief would take aside a wonderfully good safety wall in an space that was continually threatened by invasion.

In 132 or 133 B.C., Hellenistic King Antiochus the Seventh, an inheritor to the Antiochus the Fourth from the story of Hanukkah, laid siege to Jerusalem and the Judean Kingdom, in accordance with historical Jewish historian Flavius Josephus.

Because the Judean military struggled, Jewish king John Hyrcanus I made a decision to strike a cope with Antiochus. He raided King David’s tomb for 3,000 abilities of silver and supplied 500 hostages, together with his personal brother, in accordance with the writings of Josephus.

“Antiochus Sidetes (the Seventh) reached a ceasefire settlement with John Hyrcanus, saying, if you would like me to take away my military, you your self, the Jewish king, should raze to the bottom the Hasmonean fortification that you simply and your father constructed,” Re’em stated Monday. Josephus’ writings state that after Antiochus accepted Hyrcanus’ deal, they “pulled down the partitions encircling town.”

Different sections of the Hasmonean wall uncovered in different elements of Jerusalem weren’t dismantled, so it may have simply been one part that was dismantled, presumably to offer a basis for Herod’s palace, Peleg-Barkat defined. Its unlikely that Jerusalem was left unprotected with none safety partitions for greater than a century, she stated.

Wall underneath a jail

The present part of the wall was uncovered beneath an deserted wing of the constructing generally known as the Kishleh, which was in-built 1830 as a navy base. The wing was used as a jail, together with by the British up till the Nineteen Forties, and the partitions have been lined with graffiti carved by prisoners in English, Hebrew and Arabic. The remnants of the iron bars of the cells are nonetheless seen within the ceiling.

Many of the constructing remains to be utilized by the Israeli police right now, however one wing was deserted and later transferred to the Tower of David Museum. Archaeologists first started excavating this wing of the Kishleh in 1999, however violence in Jerusalem in the course of the Second Intifada, which started in 2000, halted the excavations till two years in the past.

Archaeologists eliminated the equal of two Olympic swimming swimming pools value of filth and particles by hand over the previous two years from the corridor. The excavations revealed what they consider are Center Age-era dye pits, possible for material dying, and the lengthy part of the Hasmonean wall basis.

Within the coming years, the Tower of David Museum will set up a floating glass ground over the ruins and use the corridor as certainly one of its new galleries within the Schulich Wing of Archaeology, Artwork and Innovation. The renovations of this part are anticipated to take at the very least two years, now that the archaeological dig has concluded.

 Final yr’s “archaeological Hanukkah miracle”

Nearly precisely one yr in the past, in December 2024, Israeli researchers found a uncommon assortment of historical cash on the third day of Hanukkah, calling the discover an “archaeological Hanukkah miracle.”

The cash have been greater than 2,000 years outdated and believed to belong to King Alexander Jannaeus, the second ruler of the Hasmonean dynasty. Archaeologists discovered the hoard of about 160 of the cash throughout excavations within the Jordan Valley, which runs between the Israeli-occupied West Financial institution and the japanese border of Jordan.

The traditional cash have been unearthed on the third day of Hanukkah. Researchers famous the importance of that timing, since Alexander Jannaeus descended from leaders of a revolt in 167 B.C.E. that the Talmud says led to the restoration of the temple in Jerusalem and the primary celebration of the Hanukkah vacation.

Extra not too long ago, final month, archaeologists found proof of an historical spiritual follow in northern Israel along with a wine press courting again roughly 5,000 years — one of many oldest ever uncovered within the nation.