Huge Ancient Quarry Found in Jerusalem’s Hi-Tech Park
A massive ancient quarry from Jerusalem’s Second Temple period was discovered in the Har Hotzvim hi-tech park, the Israeli Antiquities Authority announced. The site spans approximately 3,500 square meters and has revealed large building stones likely used in royal construction projects during the late Second Temple period.
Antiquities Authority Director Eli Escusido said, “Revealing this huge quarry, just before the Nine Days and the Ninth of Av, the time of year when the Jewish people the world over mourn the Jerusalem that was lost in these days, is symbolic and very moving.”
The excavation has uncovered tens of various-sized building stones, including massive rock slabs measuring up to 2.5 meters in length, 1.2 meters in width, and 40 centimeters in thickness, each weighing around two-and-a-half tons. Excavation directors Michael Chernin and Lara Shilov explained that these stones were likely intended for Jerusalem’s many royal construction projects during the late Second Temple period.
The quarry’s connection to other significant sites in Jerusalem has also been established. Some of the building stones extracted here were used as pavement slabs for Jerusalem’s streets during that period. An ongoing excavation in the City of David discovered a paved street, the “Pilgrim’s Road,” dated to the late Second Temple period. The paving stones from this street match the size, thickness, and geological signature of the stone slabs from the Har Hotzvim quarry.
Adding to the significance of the find, two stone vessels were discovered, which, according to Jewish law, are impervious to ritual defilement. One of these vessels, an intact stone purification receptacle, was found hidden in a corner of the quarry. Shilov noted, “This is a stone purification vessel of the type that served the Jewish community during the Second Temple period.”
The Antiquities Authority is working with the developer to preserve and integrate the quarry into the commercial complex being planned. Dr. Amit Re’em, the Antiquities Authority’s Jerusalem District Supervisor, said, “The entire public will gain a lasting impression of this tremendous enterprise’s grandeur – quarrying the building stones for Jerusalem when the Second Temple was standing.”
Doubts Revealed
Quarry -: A quarry is a place where people dig up stones from the ground. These stones are then used to build things like houses and roads.
Jerusalem -: Jerusalem is a very old and important city in Israel. It is special to many people because it has a lot of history and religious sites.
Second Temple period -: The Second Temple period is a time in Jewish history when the Second Temple stood in Jerusalem. This was from about 516 BCE to 70 CE.
Har Hotzvim hi-tech park -: Har Hotzvim hi-tech park is a modern area in Jerusalem where many technology companies have their offices.
3,500 square meters -: 3,500 square meters is a measure of area. It is about the size of half a football field.
Stone vessels -: Stone vessels are containers made out of stone. People used them to hold things like water or food.
Israeli Antiquities Authority -: The Israeli Antiquities Authority is a group in Israel that takes care of old and important historical sites and objects.
Nine Days and the Ninth of Av -: The Nine Days and the Ninth of Av are special times in the Jewish calendar. They are days of mourning to remember the destruction of the First and Second Temples in Jerusalem.
