Hasmonean City Wall Emerges Beneath Jerusalem’s Tower Of David
Archaeologists in Jerusalem have uncovered one of the longest, best-preserved stretches of Hasmonean-era city wall ever found, exposing a massive fortification beneath the Tower of David Jerusalem Museum that reshapes the visible map of ancient Jerusalem. The discovery, completed in recent days during Israel Antiquities Authority excavations for the museum’s new Schulich Wing of Archaeology, Art and Innovation in the Kishle complex, dates to the late second century BCE, when the Hasmonean dynasty ruled Judea after the Maccabean revolt.
According to excavation directors Dr. Amit Re’im and Dr. Marion Zindel of the Israel Antiquities Authority, “The newly uncovered section, known in ancient historical sources as the ‘First Wall’, is particularly impressive in both its size and its degree of preservation – over 40 meters long, and about 5 meters wide. The wall is meticulously built of large, heavy stones, with a chiseled boss typical of this period. Originally, the massive wall rose to a height of more than ten meters!”
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Ancient historian Josephus described this line of defense as nearly impossible to breach and lined with towers, reflecting Jerusalem’s growing political and religious weight in the late Second Temple period. Re’im and Zindel say the structure was intentionally demolished in antiquity, possibly as part of a deal between Hasmonean ruler John Hyrcanus I and Seleucid king Antiochus VII Sidetes, or later under King Herod, who sought to stamp his authority on the city.
The new wing, funded by the Schulich Foundation of Canadian philanthropist Seymour Schulich, will allow visitors to view the wall through a glass floor. “We are committed to preserving this impressive and unique sight, and allowing the general public to experience this tangible link to Jerusalem’s past spanning thousands of years,” said Eilat Lieber, director of the Tower of David Jerusalem Museum.
Israeli Minister of Heritage Rabbi Amichai Eliyahu called the discovery “tangible and moving evidence of Jerusalem’s might and stature during the Hasmonean period,” saying it brings the stories of Hanukkah “to life on the ground.”
