A remarkable First Temple-period structure has been uncovered by the Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA) on the eastern slope of the City of David within the Jerusalem Walls National Park. The discovery includes eight rock-hewn rooms containing unique installations, such as an altar, a standing stone (masseba), an oil press, and a winepress, all pointing to its use for cultic and religious practices by the people of Judah.
The 220-square-meter site is detailed in a newly published article in the scientific journal ‘Atiqot. Excavation director Eli Shukron suggests that this structure, located just a few hundred meters from the Temple Mount, was a significant ritual site while the Temple still stood. It is the only known ritual complex from this period in Jerusalem and one of the few across Israel.
The structure features unique installations: an oil press, a winepress, a carved altar with a drainage channel, and a standing stone believed to be central to ritual activities. One room contains mysterious V-shaped carvings on its floor, which may have supported a tripod used in religious rites. A small adjacent cave yielded a treasure of eighth-century BCE artifacts, including cooking pots, jars with ancient Hebrew inscriptions, loom weights, scarabs, seals, and grinding stones.
The researchers, led by Eli Shukron, believe the site was in use until the 8th century BCE, during the reign of the Kings of Judah. They propose that the structure ceased operation as part of King Hezekiah’s religious reforms, which sought to centralize worship at the Temple in Jerusalem and eliminate alternative ritual sites.
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