(Jerusalem Post) Melanie Lidman - A large complex of ruins from the First Temple period called the Ophel City Walls site was inaugurated on Tuesday in the Walls Around Jerusalem National Park, showcasing one of the most complete excavations from the First Temple period and the area believed to be the Water Gate mentioned in the Bible. The site, which was uncovered by Hebrew University's Dr. Eilat Mazar, contains ritual baths, store rooms, a watchtower, and royal buildings, where archeologists found dozens of large clay pots of various sizes. Mazar believes the site includes remnants of the walls built by King Solomon. Avi Mashiah, a conservation expert with the Antiquities Authority, noted that some of the pots and stones were still blackened from the fires set in the destruction of the First Temple (586 BCE).
2011-06-22 00:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive