Archaeologists uncover 2,100 year-old wall section in Jerusalem

The wall was part of fortifications built by the Hasmonean rulers following the Temple’s reconquest and rededication, events commemorated by Hanukkah

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Workers from the Israel Antiquities Authority clean part of an excavation site where, according to the institution, a wall dating from the Hasmonean period, around the end of the 2nd century BCE, was uncovered beneath the Tower of David Museum in the Old City of Jerusalem, on December 8, 2025.
Workers from the Israel Antiquities Authority clean part of an excavation site where, according to the institution, a wall dating from the Hasmonean period, around the end of the 2nd century BCE, was uncovered beneath the Tower of David Museum in the Old City of Jerusalem, on December 8, 2025.ASSOCIATED PRESS / AP

Israeli archaeologists have uncovered the longest intact section ever found of the wall that encircled Jerusalem during the Hasmonean period, the era of the Hanukkah story. 

The discovery, made beneath the old wing of the Kishleh building near the Tower of David citadel, reveals a segment nearly 50 meters long and 5 meters wide, dating to the late 2nd century BCE.

The wall was part of fortifications built by the Hasmonean rulers following the Temple’s reconquest and rededication, events commemorated by Hanukkah. 

According to ancient sources, notably the historian Flavius Josephus, these walls were far more imposing than today’s Ottoman walls and featured sixty watchtowers over ten meters high. Excavations confirm that the fortifications protected a significantly larger area than the present Old City.

One striking aspect is the condition of the wall: its upper section appears to have been deliberately dismantled. Dr. Amit Re’em of the Israel Antiquities Authority suggests this may be the first archaeological evidence of an episode Josephus describes—a ceasefire around 132–133 BCE between Jewish king John Hyrcanus I and Seleucid ruler Antiochus VII, in which Hyrcanus reportedly agreed to level the fortifications.

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Jewish history of Jerusalem: Archaeologists uncover ancient Jerusalem wall from Hanukkah era

Other experts propose an alternative theory: King Herod may have removed this section to lay the foundations of his palace, asserting his authority over Jerusalem.

The excavations, paused during the Second Intifada, resumed two years ago. Archaeologists manually removed the equivalent of two Olympic swimming pools of earth, uncovering medieval dyeing vats along the way. The site, located beneath a former Ottoman and later British prison, will become part of a new gallery at the Tower of David Museum. A suspended glass floor will allow visitors to view the remains once the two-year project is completed.

This rare find sheds new light on Jerusalem’s turbulent history, offering a remarkable intersection between archaeology and ancient accounts.

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