Israeli police made an unexpected discovery while conducting an operation in Jerusalem's Silwan village. On August 24, the Israel Police announced that officers stumbled upon an ancient burial cave while carrying out a search related to a "violent family conflict" in the area.
The operation was launched after a deadly clash between feuding families erupted into gunfire and Molotov cocktail attacks. As part of the activity, Jerusalem Border Police officers conducted searches in Silwan and accompanied government authority representatives at a compound where individuals involved in the incident reside.
According to the police, officers found the burial cave beneath a building, along with other "archaeological finds." Representatives of the Israel Antiquities Authority arrived at the scene, and an initial examination indicates that the graves date to the Second Temple period.
The Second Temple period lasted from roughly 516 B.C. to 70 A.D., when Roman forces destroyed the temple during the First Jewish-Roman War. Rock-cut burial caves were commonly used as family tombs in Jerusalem during this time period.
The discovery is the latest in a series of archaeological finds in Jerusalem. Earlier this summer, officials announced the discovery of charred wooden beams in Jerusalem dating back roughly 2,600 years, and last year, archaeologists uncovered a section of Jerusalem's Hasmonean-era wall.
NTC Report coverage is based on reporting from the original publisher.
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