Jerusalem Street Unearthed in Old City

March 31, 2010

Almost 5 meters (16.5 feet) under the road’s surface, archaeologists unearthed remains of the main street that cut through the city during the Byzantine era, confirming the depiction of Jerusalem in the famous, sixth-century Madaba mosaic map, located in Jordan. Excavation director Dr. Ofer Sion exclaimed, “My hair, you know, stood on end!” Large flagstones, more than a meter (3 feet) long, were found, as well as a stone foundation alongside the street on which a sidewalk and a row of columns were founded.

Aqueduct

Also found was an enormous cistern 8 x 12 meters (26 x 39 feet) and 5 meters deep and a second-century aqueduct, originally part of Herod’s sophisticated engineering to bring water from the Hebron Hills kilometers away.

The Media Line reported that “because of its location, digging was quick” and that, unfortunately, this great find would be covered up, and the street above it repaved.

By Charleeda Sprinkle, Assistant Editor

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