Intriguing ancient Jewish structure unearthed near Western Wall
The Israel Antiques Authority and the Western Wall Heritage Foundation presented the extraordinary discovery last month, just ahead of Jerusalem Day. Barely thirty meters from the ancient Jewish Temple, archaeologists found two rooms connected by a staircase and an open courtyard. This complex was used by Jewish people in Jerusalem 2,000 years ago at the time of the Second Temple. Artefacts found at the site – oil lamps, clay cooking vessels and stone containers – show that the rooms were used for storing and cooking food. But more than that, nobody knows. In first century Jerusalem, houses were normally built...