A fortification ditch in Jerusalem, dating back to the First Temple period, almost 3,000 years ago, was discovered during excavations conducted by the Department of Antiquities and Tel Aviv University in the City of David. This canal is part of the defence system north of Jerusalem. Dr Yiftah Shalev Archaeologist at the Israel Antiquities Authority The Great Moat where we are standing is one of the most interesting things to see in terms of the history of ancient Jerusalem: how the city looked, how it was governed and how it was run. This canal is nine metres deep, 30 metres wide and 70 metres long. On both sides there are rock pillars that cannot be climbed. It divided the lower part of the city, where most of the population lived, and the upper part, where the administrative centre and temple, the royal palace and the residence of the rich were located. Dr Yiftah Shalev Archaeologist at the Israel Antiquities Authority Until today, we did not know that there was a wall surrounding Jerusalem built in the 9th century BC. The walls we know of, parts of which were recently discovered, are dated slightly afterwards, back to the 8th century BC. Archaeologist Yaftah Shalev, of the Department of Antiquities, said: The defence system of Jerusalem at that time was based on the Kidron valley from the east, and the Tyropion valley from west to north. This discovery, the tyropion, changes the way we know Jerusalem, and therefore how we considered ancient Jerusalem, which we understood as a residential area without discontinuity. Dr Yiftah Shalev Archaeologist at the Israel Antiquities Authority Now we have to redesign everything and imagine this city divided in two with this big moat, and rethink how this city was run, with this moat in the middle of the flow of urban traffic. The discovery of the moat opens up a new perspective in biblical studies, which are not always understood when describing Jerusalem. Dr Yiftah Shalev Archaeologist at the Israel Antiquities Authority Thanks to this discovery, it is possible to return to the biblical text with a fresh look and try again to understand what the writers meant when they described the image of Jerusalem. The process of digging the moat required great management skills and was a testimony to the power of the city's rulers at the time it was built. For example, the first book of Kings (11:27) mentions an event like this of King Solomon: ‘Solomon built the walls’. The discovery of this moat solves a 150-year-old mystery about the defence system north of Jerusalem during the First Temple period. Read More