A massive fortification dating back 3,800 years that likely protected the kings of Judah has been uncovered just outside the walled Old City of Jerusalem, the Israel Antiquities Authority announced on Sunday.
The moat, which measures at least nine meters deep and 30 meters wide, was discovered in the area of the present-day parking lot just outside the Dung Gate to the Old City of Jerusalem.
Created by extensive quarrying, the moat formed a channel separating the City of David from the Temple Mount, dividing the city in two.
The fortifications likely served to separate the upper city, where the Temple and the palace were located, from the lower city, and protect it, the state-run archaeological body said.
“It is not known when the moat was originally cut, but evidence suggests it was used during the centuries when Jerusalem was the capital of the Kingdom of Judah, almost 3,000 years ago, beginning with King Josiah,” said the excavation’s co-directors Tel Aviv University Professor Yuval Gadot and Dr. Yiftah Shalev from the Israel Antiquities Authority.
“During those years, the moat separated the southern residential part of the city from the ruling acropolis in the north.”
Shalev added, “If the moat was cut during this period, then it was intended to protect the city from the north—the only weak point of the City of David slope. Either way, we are confident that it was used at the time of the First Temple and the Kingdom of Judah (ninth century BCE), so it created a clear buffer between the residential city in the south, and the upper city in the north.”
The creation of the moat was a monumental operation, designed to change the natural topography to demonstrate the power of Jerusalem’s rulers to those who entered its gates, the IAA said.
The find reveals that throughout the Iron Age (the time of the First Temple)—the period in which the books of the Bible were compiled—and for centuries afterward the city was divided into at least two distinct parts, the archaeologists said.
“The excavations in the City of David never cease to amaze; once again, discoveries are being revealed that shed new and vivid light on the biblical literature,” said Eli Escusido, director of the Israel Antiquities Authority.
“When you stand at the bottom of this giant excavation, surrounded by enormous hewn walls, it is impossible not to be filled with wonder and appreciation for those ancient people who, about 3,800 years ago, literally moved mountains and hills.”
The discovery will be presented to the public at the “Innovations in the Archeology of Jerusalem” conference of the Antiquities Authority, Tel Aviv University and the Hebrew University on Aug. 1.
