Israeli archaeologists discover unique 2,800-year-old channel installations
Installations were found close to the Temple and the king’s palace and were thought to be important for that reason
Archaeologists in Jerusalem discovered what they believe to be two channel installations, possibly one portion of a larger industrial system from roughly 3,000 years ago.
The installations were found close to the Temple and the king’s palace and were thought to be important for that reason, however, archaeologists so far have not been able to confirm exactly what they were used for.
The likes of such a discovery have never been seen in Israel to date.
“We looked at the installation and realized that we had stumbled on something unique, but since we had never seen a structure like this in Israel, we didn't know how to interpret it,” said Israeli Antiquities Authority researcher Iftach Shalev.
“Even its date was unclear. We brought a number of experts to the site to see if there were any residues in the soil or rock that are not visible to the naked eye, and to help us understand what flowed or stood in the channels. We wanted to check whether there were any organic remains or traces of blood, so we even recruited the help of the police forensic unit and its research colleagues around the world, but so far – to no avail.”
According to Tel Aviv University Prof. Yuval Gadot, the installation may have consisted of at least five channels that were used to transport liquids of some sort.
“This is an era when we know that Jerusalem covered an area that included the City of David and the Temple Mount, which served as the heart of Jerusalem," said Gadot.
“The central location of the channels near the city’s most prominent areas indicates that the product made using them was connected to the economy of the Temple or Palace. One should note that ritual activity includes bringing agricultural animal and plant produce to the Temple; Many times, Temple visitors would bring back products that carried the sanctity of the place.”
The All Israel News Staff is a team of journalists in Israel.
