Newly revealed city wall proves enduring Jewish presence in Jerusalem, dispelling anti-Israel narratives pushed today.
A spectacular section of Jerusalem’s Hasmonean-period city wall—one of the most complete ever uncovered—has been revealed inside the Tower of David Jerusalem Museum complex, offering dramatic archaeological proof of the Jewish nation’s ancient sovereignty in its eternal capital. The discovery emerged during Israel Antiquities Authority excavations ahead of the museum’s new Schulich Wing of Archaeology, Art and Innovation at the historic Kishle site.
Archaeologists Dr. Amit Re’im and Dr. Marion Zindel announced that the massive wall, built in the late 2nd century BCE by the Hasmonean kingdom, stretches more than 40 meters long and five meters wide. With its expertly carved stones and originally towering height of over ten meters, the structure corresponds to what Josephus called the “First Wall,” a fortification he described as “impregnable,” once lined with sixty defensive towers shielding Jerusalem during the Second Temple period.
Remarkably preserved yet clearly demolished by deliberate human action, the wall’s destruction raises longstanding historical debates. Researchers suggest it may have been dismantled as part of the peace deal between the Hasmonean ruler John Hyrcanus and Antiochus VII Sidetes, or intentionally razed by King Herod to erase Hasmonean political legacy and assert his own power. Both possibilities illuminate the fierce geopolitical struggles that defined Jerusalem centuries before modern attempts to rewrite its history.
Supporting this narrative, earlier excavations near the wall uncovered hundreds of Seleucid siege weapons—catapult stones, slingstones, and arrowheads—fired by Antiochus VII in his failed attempt to breach the fortifications. These artifacts, now displayed at the Tower of David Museum, testify to the Jewish city’s resilience even under devastating foreign attack—mirroring, in many ways, Israel’s enduring struggle against hostile neighbors today.
Tower of David Museum Director Eilat Lieber and Israel’s Heritage Minister Rabbi Amichai Eliyahu hailed the discovery as a profound reminder of Israel’s unbroken connection to Jerusalem. Eliyahu emphasized that the wall brings the story of the Maccabees and Hanukkah “to life on the ground,” reaffirming Jewish historical continuity in a region where modern adversaries—including anti-Israel propagandists—routinely deny Jewish roots in the city. The newly revealed site will be preserved as part of the museum’s expanded wing, allowing visitors to walk above the ancient stones on a transparent floor and experience three millennia of Jewish heritage firsthand.
