Jerusalem Findings Shed New Light On ‘First Temple Period’

Evidence of the destruction of Jerusalem at the hands of the Babylonians was unearthed in the City of David, in excavations conducted by the Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA). Structures dating to more than 2,600 years ago—known as The First Temple Period—were uncovered beneath collapsed layers of stone, including charred wood, grape seeds, pottery, fish scales and bones. According to the IAA, the findings “depict the affluence and character of Jerusalem, capital of the Judean Kingdom, and are mesmerizing proof of the city’s demise at the hands of the Babylonians.” Among the rarer findings were storage jars depicting a rosette—a petalled rose—which replaced the ‘For the King’ seal used in an earlier administrative system. A major conclusion of the excavation is that Jerusalem had extended beyond the eastern line of the city wall before its destruction.