Underground complex found near Western Wall

TEMPLE MOUNT WATCH: Archaeologists discover 2000-year-old unique complex by the Western Wall. The structure was sealed later in the Byzantine period under the floors of a large building about 1,400 years ago and was left untouched for centuries (Rossella Tercatin, Jerusalem Post).

“This is a unique finding,” said Dr. Barak Monnickendam-Givon and Tehila Sadiel, directors of the excavation on behalf of the Israel Antiquities Authority, according to a press release. “This is the first time a subterranean system has been uncovered adjacent to the Western Wall. You must understand that 2,000 years ago in Jerusalem, like today, it was customary to build out of stone. The question is, why were such efforts and resources invested in hewing rooms underground in the hard bedrock?”

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