Israel Antiquities Authority

Border Police discover Second Temple-period burial cave during operations in eastern Jerusalem

The discovery came as part of police’s ongoing investigations into the violent clash between two feuding families in Silwan that occurred over the weekend and led to the deaths of three people.

Burial cave from the Second Temple period found by Border Police officers in east Jerusallem, August 24, 2026.
Aerial view of the Israel Antiquities Authority excavation in Ramat Gan, August 16, 2026.

WATCH: Archaeologists unearth 1,300-year-old ‘shopping hub’ beneath stadium in central Israel

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

IAA files indictment against two Fureidis residents caught carrying illegally excavated artifacts

Man cleaning the Byzantine-era mosaic in Nahariya, taken in 2022; file photo.

Nahariya's Byzantine church hit by Hezbollah rocket reopens to public after four months


Anatolia's gladiators: Ancient stelae offer new insights into their complex lives

Grave stelae found in the provinces of Anatolia are a main source of information about Roman gladiators.

Artwork showing gladiators riding on elephants and horses in a a Roman amphitheatre. A print by Professor Wagner.

Recent excavations reveal King Sennacherib's military impact on the economy of the Kingdom of Judah

Excavations in Jerusalem revealed that Sennacherib’s 701 BCE military campaign impacted Judah's economy, uncovering administrative changes under King Hezekiah.

 The Judahite stamp impressions are being displayed to the public for the first time at at the Jay and Jeanie Schottenstein National Campus for the Archaeology of Israel.

Gods and monsters: Ancient Greek wall paintings in Ashkelon to be made accessible to public

The paintings depict Greek mythological characters such as Demeter, Medusa, and nymphs and include floral decorations and images relating to nature. 

Demeter,  Greek mythology goddess, appears on the ceiling of the vaulted structure.

Newly discovered biblical moat in Jerusalem reveals city's ancient fortifications

A 3,500-year-old trench found in Jerusalem's City of David reveals the city's northern fortification, resolving a 150-year-old debate.

 Prof. Yuval Gadot of the Tel Aviv University next to the northern side of the moat which protected Jerusalem, and alongside him carved bedrock channels.

Rediscovering ancient luxury: A 3,800-year-old scarlet textile unveiled in the Judean desert

Scarlet, alongside royal blue (Tekhelet) and purple (Argaman), was revered in the ancient world for its rarity and expense.

 A fragment of the rare 3,800-year-old textile, dyed with the Kermes vermilio.

Phylacteries were not colored black 2,000 years ago, new study reveals

Tefillin are small leather cases containing miniscule parchment scrolls inscribed with biblical verses. They are worn even today by observant Jews as part of their morning prayers.

 Tefillin from about 2,000 years ago in the laboratories of the Israel Antiquities Authority.

When Britain’s King George V ‘met’ the founder of its most famous beer, on walls in Jerusalem

These walls continue to talk to us and reveal Jerusalem’s history."

 Shai Halevy and Michael Chernin of the Israel Antiquities Authority during the research on the coats of arms.

Volunteer discovers ancient decorated bowl at Israeli dig

Meir Elchassid, a volunteer from Rehovot, Israel, stumbled upon the ancient glazed bowl during a communal archaeological dig to uncover historical artifacts.

 The decorated bowl dating back to the Abbasid period in Khirbet Hevra.

Bone gaming die uncovered in the City of David

Dice are the oldest gaming implement known to man. Six-sided die, as the one uncovered in the City of David, dates back to about 2000 BCE

13th century era die unearthed in City of David National Park.

IAA discovers rare 6,000-year-old elephant ivory vessel near Beersheba

The discovery provides evidence of ties between this region and Egypt in the Chalcolithic period.

 The rare, recently discovered ivory vessel