This unique structure, comprising eight rooms carved into the bedrock, spans approximately 220 square meters. Each room was equipped with various elements indicative of ritual use, including an altar, an oil press, a winepress, and a standing stone (masseba), alongside other features like a drainage channel and mysterious V-shaped carvings on the floor. This complex is believed to be the only known site of its kind from this period in Jerusalem, providing a rare glimpse into the religious life of Judeans during the time of the First Temple.

The structure’s use is thought to have ceased around the 8th century BCE, coinciding with the religious reforms under King Hezekiah. According to the biblical narrative, Hezekiah aimed to centralize worship at the Temple in Jerusalem, which involved closing down other ritual sites across the kingdom. Excavation director Eli Shukron from the IAA noted that the site was intentionally sealed during this period, with the standing stone found still in its original location, suggesting it was abandoned rather than destroyed.

Ze’ev Orenstein, Director of Internal Affairs at the City of David, emphasized the significance of this find, stating, “This discovery reaffirms the Jewish people’s millennia-long connection to Jerusalem, not just as a matter of faith but as historical fact.” The structure’s proximity to the Temple Mount, being just a few hundred meters away, underscores its importance in the religious landscape of ancient Jerusalem.

This discovery not only enriches our understanding of the First Temple period’s religious practices but also complements the biblical accounts of the era. Minister of Heritage Amichai Eliyahu highlighted the cultural importance of such findings, stating they serve as tangible proof of Jerusalem’s ancient heritage and the Jewish people’s historical roots in the region.

The excavation process, which began in 2010, has been a meticulous effort to understand this period’s history better. The findings were detailed in an article published in the scientific journal “Atiqot,” where Shukron and his team propose that the structure was part of the broader religious life when the Temple was still the center of worship.

This discovery in the City of David, one of the most significant archaeological sites in Jerusalem, continues to reveal layers of history that connect the modern world with ancient times, affirming the city’s enduring significance across millennia.

Article generated from legacy media reports. According to All Israel News:

A unique structure, which was uncovered by the Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA) on the eastern slope of the City of David, dates back to the First Temple Period and was used for ritual religious practices.

The structure contains eight rock-hewn rooms which contained various elements of ritual practice, including a standing stone (matzeva), an olive oil press and a winepress, both used to provide oil and wine for the rituals, and a carved installation with a drainage channel, which might have held an altar, along with several v-shaped marks carved in the floor, the purpose of which is not yet clear.

In a small cave on the edge of the structure, a cache of objects dating to the eighth century BCE was uncovered, including cooking pots, jars bearing fragments of ancient Hebrew inscriptions, loom weights, scarabs, stamped seals with decorative motifs, and grinding stones used for crushing grains.

Eli Shukron, who directed the excavation for the IAA, said, “The structure ceased to function during the 8th century BCE, possibly as part of King Hezekiah’s religious reform. According to the Bible, Hezekiah sought to centralize worship at the Temple in Jerusalem, abolishing the ritual sites scattered across the kingdom. The Bible describes how, during the First Temple period, additional ritual sites operated outside the Temple, and two kings of Judah—Hezekiah and Josiah—implemented reforms to eliminate these sites and concentrate worship at the Temple.”

Dr. Shay Har-Zvi, a senior research fellow at the Institute for Policy and Strategy at Reichman University in Israel said: “Trump will likely push hard to advance normalization efforts from the outset and may pressure Netanyahu to be more flexible in meeting the demands of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman – particularly on ending the war in Gaza and signaling a political horizon for the Palestinians,” Har-Zvi told Israeli news site Maariv, with excerpts translated by The Jerusalem Post.

Har-Zvi added that Trump views achieving lasting peace in the region as one of his objectives, with Israel-Saudi normalization being integral to this vision.

“Failure to achieve normalization could hinder efforts to form a regional coalition against Iran and would forfeit economic opportunities for both the Middle East and the US,” he said.

The warming of relations between Israel and Saudi Arabia has diminished since the war began in the Gaza Strip, with the crown prince, MBS, even accusing Israel of committing genocide. […]

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Fatah leaders vowed they would “not allow Hamas, which has jeopardized the interests and resources of the Palestinian people in favor of Iran and caused the destruction of Gaza, to reproduce its activities in the West Bank.”

The Iranian-backed proxy Hamas has repeatedly attempted to undermine Fatah and the PA in Judea and Samaria (internationally known as the West Bank) by carrying out terrorist attacks against Israelis.

Fatah emphasized that Hamas was responsible for the “catastrophic” humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip, and stated it is “characterized by the spread of hunger, poverty, and deprivation of basic humanitarian needs.”

Fatah further remarked, “Hamas should not be allowed to reproduce such reckless actions in the West Bank.” […]

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Iranian Brig.-Gen. Amir Ali Hajizadeh described the facility as a “dormant volcano.” IRGC Commander Maj.-Gen.Hossein Salami, who accompanied Hajizadeh, vowed that the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps would develop “new special missiles.”

“The enemy thought that our production capacity had been cut off, but the growth rate of our missile capacity is up to date; missiles are really increasing and upgrading their capacity and capabilities every day in terms of quantity, quality, skill, and design,” Salami explained.

In a reference to Israel’s strikes on Iran’s missile production facilities in October, he added: “This increase in capabilities means that the IRGC Aerospace Force will once again unveil its newly produced missiles and missile bases in the near future.”

Assessing the accuracy of these statements requires careful consideration, as there are varying perspectives on Iran’s military capabilities. Following an incident involving strikes on Israel in April, some international military analysts raised questions about the technical effectiveness of Iran’s missile program. […]

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The Israeli news channel said the IDF had recognized “gross violations” of the peace agreement, including the building of anti-tank obstacles, “significant” logistical preparations, and the deployment of whole armored divisions in the central Sinai region

The peace treaty between Israel and Egypt in 1979 included the demilitarization of the Sinai, which Israel returned to Egypt as part of the treaty. However, when ISIS became a threat in the area, Israel allowed a large build-up of forces near its border to help Egypt fight the jihadi terrorists.

Retired IDF Lt.-Col. Eli Dekel as warned for years about the growing threat from the Egyptian army. Egypt’s military has added around 60,000 soldiers since President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi came to power, with its alignment clearly indicating that it views Israel as its primary enemy.

The Egyptian Armed Forces, already one of the region’s largest militaries, are in the middle of an enormous acquisition spree and an accompanying buildup of infrastructure. Egypt has built a massive network of roads and bridges, created dozens of opportunities to cross the Suez Canal, and acquired hundreds of tank transporters, enabling it to rapidly reinforce troops in the Sinai Peninsula. […]

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“The monastery is dated to the Byzantine period (5th-6th centuries CE), and it is part of an ancient site that already existed during the Roman period and continued for approximately 600 years,” the IAA said.

In addition to the monastery, the excavation uncovered remains of a wine press, a warehouse and several other ancient structures.

On the floor of the monastery ruins is an intricate mosaic that includes “crosses, lions, doves, an amphora (a ceramic maritime shipping jug), flowers and geometric patterns.”

At the center of the mosaic is a passage from the Torah written in Greek: “Blessed are you when you come in, and blessed are you when you go out” (Deut. 28:6). […]

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However, after the reports were published, the office of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu denied receiving any list from Hamas.

“Contrary to what was claimed, Hamas has yet to provide a list of hostages,” the terse statement from the Prime Minister’s Office stated on Sunday evening.

A representative from the terror group later told Reuters it had approved a list of names of hostages to be released in the event of an agreement.

The BBC initially also claimed that a Hamas official shared a list of 34 hostages that the terror group is willing to release in the first stage of an agreement with Israel. […]

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The PA explained that the ban was imposed because the channel produces reports designed to “provoke strife and interfere in Palestinian internal affairs.”

The news agency went on to report that there would be a “temporary suspension of all journalists and staff associated with [Al Jazeera], as well as the channels under its umbrella, until its legal status is rectified, due to Al Jazeera’s violation of the laws and regulations in force in Palestine.”

Al Jazeera, a Qatar-based media organization, responded to the suspension by accusing the PA of acting “in line with the occupation’s actions,” as Al Jazeera was similarly shut down in Israel in May.

Among other allegations, Israel has accused several of Al Jazeera’s journalists in Gaza of being paid fighters for the Hamas terrorist organization. […]

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According to the new report, Hamas currently commands a surprisingly high number of between 20,000 and 23,000 terrorist fighters if combined with the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) forces present in the Gaza Strip. Until recently, the Jerusalem Post reported, terrorist forces were estimated to be reduced to about 12,000 fighters.

In February, then-Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said that Israel had effectively neutralized 20,000 terrorists in Gaza – approximately two-thirds – of Hamas’ entire fighting force, estimated to be around 30,000. In addition, Since the start of the war in October 2023, more than 6,000 Gazans have been detained by the Israel Defense Forces. Of these, approximately 4,300 remain in custody, while 2,200 have been returned to Gaza after being considered less dangerous.

“They have 10,000 dead terrorists and another 10,000 wounded who are not functioning,” Gallant said at the time. “It’s a blow that is eroding their ability [to fight], but you have to reach all the places,” he added.

“Before it launched this war against Israel on October 7, Hamas had an estimated 30,000 terrorists,” observed Mark Dubowitz, the CEO of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD), a think tank based in Washington, D.C., in February. […]

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Approximately 7.7 million Jews live in Israel, constituting 76.9% of the total population. Close to 50% of Jews worldwide currently live in Israel. Approximately 2.1 million Arabs reside in the Jewish state, which makes up about 21% of the total population. In addition, around 210,000 people (2%) of the population identify as “other,” which includes non-Arab Christian minorities and individuals who are listed without a specific religion. This includes family members of Jewish immigrants from the former Soviet Republics who are not classified as Jews by Israel’s religious authorities.

The report revealed that Israel’s population grew by 1.1% in 2024, a rate higher than most developed OECD economies. However, this growth was still lower than in 2023, when the population increased by 1.6%.

The report attributed the lower population growth to the emigration of about 82,700 Israelis, an unusually high number compared to previous years. In comparison, 55,400 Israelis departed Israel during the previous year, while the annual average of emigrated Israelis over the past decade has been around 37,000.

The higher number of emigrated Israelis in 2024 can likely be attributed to various socioeconomic and security issues linked to the ongoing war against the Iranian-backed terror proxies Hamas, Hezbollah and the Houthis. […]

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