ISRAEL - Unique Structure Found in City of David
A new structure was uncovered by the Israel Antiques Authority on the eastern slope of the City of David, within the Jerusalem Walls National Park, according to a statement from the City of David and the Israel Antiquities Authority.
The uncovered structure covers an area of approximately 220 square meters and contains eight rock-hewn rooms, each with different installations: An oil press for producing oil, a winepress for making wine, a carved installation with a drainage channel, identified by researchers as an altar, and a large standing stone (masseba), next to which ritual activity was likely practiced according to the statement.
The team, led by archaeologist Eli Shukron, who directed the excavation on behalf of the Israel Antiquities Authority, believes that the structure was in use until the 8th century BCE, the middle of the period when the Kings of Judah ruled.
The statement quoted Israel’s Heritage Minister Amichai Eliyahu stating, “This unique structure uncovered in the City of David is an exciting testimony to Jerusalem’s rich past. Such discoveries make our connection and historic roots—going back thousands of years—tangible, in Jerusalem and other sites where the Jewish culture and belief system emerged.”
Excavations in the City of David have the precedent of triggering local unrest between Muslim and Jewish residents of East Jerusalem due to its proximity to the disputed neighborhood of Silwan.
-www.jpost.com, 14 January 2025
Arno's Commentary
The Jewish presence in Jerusalem is well-documented. The city is one of the oldest in the world—“with a history spanning over 5,000 years” (Wikipedia)—and became Jewish when King David conquered it in approximately 1000 BC.
The various archaeological discoveries are important to the State of Israel, because of the denial of the Jewish connection to the city by certain Islamic teachings and proclamations.
Jerusalem is extremely important, because it’s the city that has an eternal origin: “And he carried me away in the spirit to a great and high mountain, and showed me that great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God” (Revelation 21:10). That is Jerusalem’s future.
But there is much more to it, because Revelation 21:1 concludes, “and there was no more sea.” That declares the end of the world as we know it—no sea, no clouds, no rain. From that point on, there will be “a pure river of water of life,” to the utmost satisfaction of saved humanity: “And he showed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb” (Revelation 22:1).
Arno Froese is the executive director of Midnight Call Ministries and editor-in-chief of the acclaimed prophetic magazines Midnight Call and News From Israel. He has authored a number of well-received books, and has sponsored many prophecy conferences in the U.S., Canada, and Israel. His extensive travels have contributed to his keen insight into Bible prophecy, as he sees it from an international perspective.
