Best preserved site of First Temple Ruins inaugurated
A large complex of ruins from the First Temple Period called the Ophel City Walls Site was inaugurated on Tuesday in the Walls Around Jerusalem National Park, showcasing one the most complete excavations from the First Temple Period and the area believed to be the “Water Gate” mentioned in the bible.
The site, which was uncovered by Hebrew University’s Dr. Eilat Mazar, contains multiple mikvot, store rooms, a watchtower, and royal buildings, where excavators found dozens of large clay pots of various sizes. Mazar added that the ruins were well preserved, with some interior walls up to five meters high. She first became interested in the area while working with her grandfather, the late Dr. Benjamin Mazar, responsible for the archeological excavations of the Temple Mount following the 1967 Six Day War.