Archaeologists have discovered a 2,000-year-old quarry in Jerusalem, which may have supplied the massive stones used in the construction of the Second Temple.
This expansive quarry covers approximately 3,500 square meters and contains building stones, some weighing around 2.5 tons, as recently announced by the Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA).
Massive building stones used to construct the Second Temple in Jerusalem. (Photo: Israel Antiquities Authority).
The archaeologists at the newly discovered quarry also found a stone vessel believed to have been used for ritual purification, along with other artifacts, located in the Har Hotzvim area of Jerusalem, which also dates back over 2,000 years, during the reign of King Herod over the kingdom of Judea. Herod constructed many buildings during his reign, the most famous being the Second Temple, the holiest site in Judaism.
The first temple was destroyed by the Babylonians in 587 BCE. This quarry may have been in use until around 70 CE, when the Roman Empire conquered Jerusalem during a revolt.
The quarry was discovered during excavations for the construction of a commercial complex. According to the statement, this quarry will be preserved and integrated into the complex.
“This discovery provides valuable insights into the scale of construction activity in Jerusalem during its peak, just before the city was destroyed by the Romans,” said Amos Frumkin, an honorary professor at the Institute of Earth Sciences at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.
He further stated: “It helps to paint a more complete picture of the city’s industrial capacity and the vast resources that went into this monumental architecture.”
Boaz Zissu, a professor of archaeology at Bar-Ilan University, noted that other quarries from the same period have been found in the Jerusalem area, including in Har Hotzvim.
