Israel Antiquities Authority

Israel uncovers Second Temple-period mikveh beneath Western Wall

The ritual bath was found sealed beneath a layer of destruction dated to 70 CE, in which researchers found burned ash and numerous artifacts that offer a snapshot of life just before the city fell.

THE RITUAL purification bath (mikveh) from the Second Temple period.
Drone imagery of an archaeological site.

Israeli AI, drone imagery revolutionizing mapping of archaeological sites

AN ANCIENT menorah pendant from the Byzantine period, found in Jerusalem.

Ancient lead menorah pendant sheds light on Jewish presence in Byzantine Jerusalem

Archaeologist Amit Re'em and Eilat Lieber, director of the Tower of David Jerusalem Museum stand atop the recently uncovered section of the Hasmonean wall.

Hasmonean era 'first wall' section revealed at Tower of David museum excavation - interview


Rare 2,550-year-old silver coin from Persian era uncovered in Jerusalem area

Dr. Robert Kool: “The rare find contributes information concerning the way trade was carried out."

 The rare coin, providing evidence for the development of commerce.

Reservists find perfectly preserved, 1,500-year-old oil lamp

Reservists discover a perfectly-preserved, 1,500-year-old pottery oil candle in IDF staging area.

 "It was covered in mud, I cleaned it and called the Antiquities Authority," soldiers said of their  

Oldest ceramic rooftiles ever found in the Land of Israel

Ceramic tiles brought here at the time of the Greek Seleucid king Antiochus IV – of the Hanukkah story – have been discovered in the City of David.

 Giv‘ati Parking Lot Excavations at the City of David.

Israel's museums enact war protocol to protect most precious treasures

"You really have to choose the finest or the most fragile artifacts," a museum worker said.

 The Hall of the Dead Sea Scrolls at the Israel Museum, on May 2, 2018

Unearthing tragedy: Archaeologists search for remnants of Hamas victims

Amidst the chaos of ash, twisted wire, and blackened timber, Israel Antiquities Authority archaeologists hope to find a remnant of those who perished on October 7.

 The Israel Antiquities Authority works to find remnants of Hamas victims in Kibbutz Be'eri.

Israel unearths ancient Greek tomb, rare bronze mirror in Jerusalem

The burial cave is rare evidence of the Hellenistic period in the Jerusalem area. It was discovered on a rocky slope not far from Kibbutz Ramat Raḥel.

 The bronze mirror

Artifacts used for ancient magic rituals discovered on road from Egypt to Mecca

Artifacts that may have been used for popular magic rituals about 400 years ago, were discovered along the ancient Darb al-Hajj route that led from Egypt to Mecca.

 Clay rattle fragment.

Steps where Jesus said to heal a blind man unearthed in Jerusalem

The discovery was made by archaeologists during excavation work on the Pool of Siloam. Approximately eight steps were unearthed.

 An Ultra-Orthodox Jewish man enters the Siloam pool in the East Jerusalem neighbourhood of Silwan October 23, 2009. The pool standing today dates the Byzantine Era and is located at the site where Christians believe that Jesus instructed a blind man wash, granting him sight.

First Temple-era channels in Jerusalem stump Israeli archaeologists

Archaeologists assume two canal systems found near Temple Mount and the City of David were used as part of a production facility.

 The northern channels discovered in the City of David.

Western Wall stones undergo inspection before Rosh Hashanah

This check is conducted annually around Rosh Hashanah and Passover, to make sure that Western Wall prayer does not pose a safety risk to anyone.

 Engineers conduct their bi-annual inspection of the Western Wall in preparation for the High Holy Days on August 29, 2023.