New Discoveries from Excavations inside Jaffa Gate of Old City Jerusalem

Recent excavations near Jaffa Gate in Jerusalem's Old City have uncovered significant ancient architectural features, including a segment of the Byzantine-era upper aqueduct integrated into the city wall and a section of the Decumanus, the main east-west street. A spacious building from the Ayyubid and Mamluk periods, possibly part of the western gate structure, was also discovered above these ruins. Additionally, the outer walls of the Tower of David’s Citadel moat were exposed, revealing its evolution from the medieval period to the 12th century. Among the finds were remnants of a city wall demolished before Kaiser Wilhelm II's 1898 visit and modern structures from Jordanian rule. These discoveries provide new insights into Jerusalem's urban development, water supply systems, and road networks during the Second Temple, Roman, and Byzantine periods.

Sion, O., & Rapuano, Y. (2014). New Discoveries from Excavations inside Jaffa Gate of Old City Jerusalem. Liber Annuus, 64, 453–490. https://doi.org/10.1484/j.la.5.105505