Archive · 10 Dec 2025
Ancient Hasmonean Wall Discovered in Jerusalem
Archaeologists in Israel have found a very old wall from the Hasmonean Kingdom, which is over 2,000 years old.
This wall is special because it is one of the longest and most intact pieces of the Hasmonean wall ever found.
The wall is about 50 meters long and 5 meters wide, and it was discovered under a building called the Tower of David Citadel Museum.
The wall was built around the 2nd century BCE and was part of a larger fortification system around Jerusalem.
The wall was not destroyed by war but was carefully dismantled as part of a ceasefire agreement between the Jewish king John Hyrcanus I and the Hellenistic King Antiochus the Seventh.
The discovery helps us understand more about the history and defenses of ancient Jerusalem.
Archaeologists discovered a 50-meter-long, 5-meter-wide Hasmonean city wall dating back to the 2nd century BCE.
The wall was found underneath the Tower of David Citadel Museum in Jerusalem.
The wall was part of a larger fortification system with 60 watchtowers around Jerusalem.
The wall was purposefully dismantled to a uniform height as part of a ceasefire agreement in 132 or 133 BC.
The excavation involved removing two Olympic swimming pools' worth of dirt and debris by hand over two years.
- Who
- Archaeologists from the Israel Antiquities Authority
- What
- Discovered a 2,100-year-old Hasmonean city wall
- When
- December 2025
- Where
- Underneath the Tower of David Citadel Museum in Jerusalem
- Why
- To uncover historical artifacts and understand ancient fortifications
- Wall Length
- 50 meters
- Wall Width
- 5 meters
- Estimated Height
- Taller than current Old City walls
- Discovery Location
- Underneath the Tower of David Citadel Museum
- Discovery Date
- December 2025
- Excavation Duration
- Two years
- Ceasefire Year
- 132 or 133 BC