A structure used for ritual religious practices from the First Temple Period has been uncovered on the eastern slope of the City of David, according to All Israel News.
The structure uncovered by the Israel Antiquities Authority(IAA) consists of eight rock-hewn rooms, including a standing stone (matzeva), an olive oil press, and a winepress, all used to provide oil and wine for rituals. In addition, a carved installation with a drainage channel, likely used for an altar, was found, along with several v-shaped marks on the floor.
In a small cave at the edge of the structure, a cache of objects dating to the eighth century BCE was discovered, including cooking pots, jars with fragments of ancient Hebrew inscriptions, loom weights, scarabs, stamped seals with decorative designs, and grinding stones for crushing grains.
Eli Shukron, who directed the excavation for the IAA, stated, “The structure ceased to function during the 8th century BCE, possibly as part of King Hezekiah’s religious reform.” He explained that King Hezekiah sought to centralize worship at the Temple in Jerusalem, abolishing the scattered ritual sites across the kingdom.
“Additional ritual sites operated outside the Temple during the First Temple period, with two kings of Judah — Hezekiah and Josiah — implementing reforms to eliminate these sites and concentrate worship at the Temple,” he noted.
Shukron detailed how they determined the site's dating to the 8th century, correlating with King Hezekiah's reign. He explained, “When we began excavating the City of David in 2010, we discovered that the site had been sealed with fill from the 8th century BCE, indicating it had fallen out of use during that time. The standing stone we uncovered remained upright in its original place, and the other rooms in the structure were also well-preserved.”
The biblical account in 2 Kings describes Hezekiah as a king who “did what was right in the eyes of the LORD, according to all that David his father had done.” The Bible also details Hezekiah’s reforms to focus the people’s worship at the temple Solomon built.
The structure discovered by Shukron’s team is the only known example of its kind from the biblical period in Jerusalem and one of only a few such structures found in Israel, covering approximately 220 square meters.
Ze’ev Orenstein, the director of internal affairs at the City of David, told Fox News, “Nearly 3,000 years later, Jerusalem's Biblical heritage continues to be unearthed in the City of David, and with the passage of time, its relevance and meaning only continues to increase, with significance to billions, not just millions, around the world.”
He added, “This discovery in the City of David once again affirms the Jewish people's ongoing 3,000+ year-old bond with Jerusalem – not simply as a matter of faith, but as a matter of fact – from Bible times to the modern day.”
