Israel Antiquities Authority Uncovers 164-Foot Tunnel Near Jerusalem, Leaving Purpose Unknown
Updated
Updated · Fox News · Jun 1
Israel Antiquities Authority Uncovers 164-Foot Tunnel Near Jerusalem, Leaving Purpose Unknown
3 articles · Updated · Fox News · Jun 1
A 164-foot rock-hewn tunnel surfaced during excavations for a new residential neighborhood north of Kibbutz Ramat Rachel near Jerusalem, with the Israel Antiquities Authority saying the find was unexpected.
The passage is about 16 feet tall and 10 feet wide, was meticulously cut into rock, and was found packed with soil layers that built up over hundreds or thousands of years.
Researchers have not dated the tunnel or linked it directly to the biblical Kingdom of Judah, even though it lies only a few hundred meters from major Iron Age sites.
IAA archaeologists suspect it may have been tied to quarrying chalk for building stone or lime, citing a possible ventilation shaft and quarry debris, but they have ruled out a water system and say the work may never have been finished.
Why did an ancient civilization invest immense resources to carve a massive tunnel under Jerusalem, then suddenly abandon it?
How will Jerusalem balance its urgent housing needs with preserving priceless ancient history discovered just beneath the surface?