Arial view of the Temple Mount taken from the South showing the area of the excavations

The archaeological diggings in the area south of the Temple Mount after the 1967 Six Day War have revealed exciting remains of the Kingdom of Israel from the time of King David. King David bought the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite on Mt. Moriah (II Samuel 24:21-25). According to the Word of G-d, King David dedicated the holy hill and Jerusalem as the eternal capital of Israel. Through these two events, David showed complete obedience to G-d and laid the foundation for an eternal connection between the hill of the Temple and Jerusalem. David's son, King Solomon, built the Temple on Mt. Moriah. On the southern slope of Mt. Moriah he built his palace and the public administrative buildings, between the Temple Mount and the city of David. The area of the palace and public buildings was called the Ophel. The first Scriptural mention of the Ophel occurs during the reign of Jotham in the second half of the eighth century BCE (II Chronicles 27:3). Construction in this area by later generations, especially by King Herod, erased or damaged remains from the First Temple period. Despite this, very important remains have been discovered from this period.

Part of the western wall of the Water Gate. Ruins to the height of 5 meters remain

One exciting discovery was the “Water Gate” which is mentioned by Nehemiah, “And the temple servants living in Ophel, repaired to the place opposite the Water Gate towards the east, and the projecting tower” (Nehemiah 3:26). The gate discovered was typical of the period and was made up of three parts: the tower, the internal and the external gatehouse. Archaeologists calculated the date of construction as being during the tenth century BCE and that these were part of the walls of Jerusalem built by King Solomon. Forty jars used for storage and for drawing water from the cisterns were also discovered. The Water Gate had two major functions. Firstly, it was used as an entrance for those who came up from the City of David, the Kidron and the Gihon Spring. Secondly, it was used as the gate to the palace and the upper house of the king.

Artist's impression of the Water Gate with the projecting tower

Also discovered was the great projecting tower, “After them the Tekoites repaired another section, opposite the great projecting tower, as far as the wall of Ophel” (Nehemiah 3:27). Built of large hewn stones, the tower was added to the tower of the Water Gate, perhaps by King Uzziah.

Other discoveries from the First Temple period include: the Royal Building, the western wall of the Ophel close to the Temple Mount; and ancient water cisterns which had been dug into the rocks. The late Prof. Benjamin Mazar decided that these cisterns were used as a burial place in the First Temple period when this hill was outside the city. Later, in the eighth century BCE when this western hill was included in the City of David, the burial place was moved. There is still a question regarding the existence of a burial place in this site because one of the cisterns had the place for a memorial stone and looked like a tomb.

Storage Jars discovered in the Water Gate used for drawing water from the cisterns close to the Water Gate

In one of the cisterns many clay utensils from the eighth century BCE were found. This suggests that the cistern may have been used as a geniza for holy utensils which had been used in the Temple and had been broken or were no longer usable. Because of their holiness they were buried in this place. It was very interesting to discover that two of the cisterns were later used in the Second Temple period as a mikveh for the pilgrims who came to the Temple. When the archaeologists found the mikveh and discovered that close by there was the cistern which had been used as a tomb they stopped digging and left the rest of the site untouched. A mikveh, which is used as a place of purification, cannot be close to an unclean place such as a tomb. In any case, if a burial place actually existed on this hill in the First Temple period, during the Second Temple period it was no longer used for this purpose. Its existence had been completely forgotten.

Discoveries such as these offer proof that the G-d of Israel has again remade the connection between our forefathers and modern Israel.