Archaeologists Unearth 2,600-Year-Old Temple Beams in Jerusalem, Sharpening 586 B.C. Destruction Date
Updated
Updated · Fox News · Aug 6
Archaeologists Unearth 2,600-Year-Old Temple Beams in Jerusalem, Sharpening 586 B.C. Destruction Date
3 articles · Updated · Fox News · Aug 6
Summary
Charred wooden beams found beneath a City of David parking lot are believed to be remnants of a building destroyed in Jerusalem’s 586 B.C. Babylonian conquest, offering rare physical evidence tied to the First Temple era.
Hundreds of burned olive pits and thick beams with many growth rings were preserved when wall plaster melted in the fire and sealed the wood, according to the Israel Antiquities Authority.
IAA researchers said the unusually ring-rich timber could narrow radiocarbon dating from broad century-scale ranges to about 10 years, a rare level of precision for finds in Israel.
Excavation directors said the beams likely formed the roof of an inner courtyard and that later residents may have intentionally left the ruins in place, preserving the destruction layer as a memorial.