Israel Antiquities Authority

New AI-powered research project aims to uncover the origins of the Dead Sea Scrolls

Research methods will include state-of-the-art chemical, artificial intelligence, paleographical, and codicological analysis of approximately 250 samples of the scrolls from the IAA's collection.

A fragment of a 2,000-year-old Psalms Scroll from the Dead Sea Scrolls collection; illustrative.
Roman statues uncovered by the Israel Antiquities Authority excavation, June 15, 2026.

WATCH: Two Roman-era statues unearthed during infrastructure dig for Israel Railways near Haifa

Cave from Lower Paleolithic era found south of Haifa, June 11, 2026.

WATCH: A Paleolithic time capsule: Rare prehistoric cave discovered near highway outside of Haifa

View of the ancient archeological site of Sebastia, near the West Bank city of Nablus, May 12, 2025.

West Bank, Gaza antiquities bill raises international law concerns, legal adviser warns Knesset


New archaeology exhibit marks 60 years of Knesset building with rare finds from Jerusalem, Galilee

The event hosted more than 2,000 visitors, including soldiers, police officers, Holocaust survivors, and students from schools and kindergartens across the country.

The new exhibition at the Knesset, February 3, 2026.

Police seize hundreds of ancient, counterfeit coins in east Jerusalem antiquities raid

The collection, hidden in a flowerpot on the suspect's balcony, included coins from the Hasmonean, Herodian, and Roman periods, the IAA said.

Ancient and counterfeit coins seized by Israel Antiquities Authority in East Jeruusalem raid, February 2, 2026.

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.

Israeli AI, drone imagery revolutionizing mapping of archaeological sites

“Sites that appear on the surface as scattered stones suddenly become coherent, organized spaces, and it saves a lot of research time,” Dr. Yitzchak Jaffe said.

Drone imagery of an archaeological site.

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

Cast almost entirely of lead, the pendant is decorated on both sides with an identical image of a menorah framed within a circular border.

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

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

Israel’s Heritage Minister, Rabbi Amichai Eliyahu, called the discovery: “tangible and moving evidence of Jerusalem’s might and stature during the Hasmonean period.”

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.

Unearthing Israel’s past: Archaeological discoveries change our understanding of history

As all these discoveries show, the land’s buried secrets have the power to transform our understanding of history, faith, and the human experience.

THIS SEAL, dated to the First Temple period, features Hebrew writing that reads: ‘Natan-melech the king’s servant,’ which is a quote that appears in the second ‘Book of Kings,’ 23:11.

Israel Antiquities Authority uncovers 5,500-year-old ‘Canaanite blade factory’ at Nahal Qomem

Dr. Jacob Vardi says the early bronze age site shows 'only exceptional individuals knew how to produce the Canaanite blades,' revealing a complex, specialized society.

Israel Antiquities Authority uncovers 5,500-year-old ‘Canaanite blade factory’ at Nahal Qomem.

Galilee cave yields 4th-century coin hoard tied to Jewish resistance under Rome

The coins were unearthed in Hukok, an ancient Jewish settlement near the Sea of Galilee associated with Jewish resistance under Roman rule.

Copper coins dating back more than 1,600, discovered in northern Israel.

New digital archive gives global access to Israel’s archaeological treasures

The Israel Antiquities Authority has launched a new database holding over three million historically significant records.

An intricately decorated 1,700-year-old ceramic oil lamp adorned with symbols linked to the Jewish Temple and discovered on Jerusalem's Mount of Olives, displayed in Jerusalem on Dec. 26, 2024