Rare Hasmonean Building Uncovered

April 2, 2014

Josephus wrote about Hasmonean Jerusalem but it is only now that remains of a building from the period are being unearthed by the Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA). The building stands about 4 meters (13 ft) high and covers an area of some 64 square meters (690 sq ft). The broad walls, more than one meter (3.3 ft) thick, are made of roughly hewn limestone blocks.

Although numerous pottery vessels were discovered, it was the coins that surprised the researchers. These indicated the structure was erected in the early second century BC and continued into the Hasmonean period, during which time significant changes were made inside it.

According to Dr. Doron Ben Ami and Yana Tchekhanovets, the excavation directors, “The importance of this discovery is primarily because of the conspicuous paucity of buildings from the Hasmonean city of Jerusalem in archaeological research, despite the many excavations that have been conducted to date.” Apart from several remains of the city’s fortifications, none of the Hasmonean city’s buildings have been uncovered so far, and this discovery bridges a certain gap in Jerusalem’s settlement sequence.”

Source: Excerpts of a press release by the Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Photo Credit: Assaf Peretz IAA