The Qishle excavation in the Old City of Jerusalem

The Qishle excavation in the Old City of Jerusalem

by Amit Re'em

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"The archaeological excavations near the Jaffa Gate, the main entryway to the Old City of Jerusalem, are among the most significant excavations of recent decades. They uncovered a large area beneath the Qishle, a historical prison within a 19th-century structure, revealing remarkable findings from the Iron Age to modern times. The remains of an imposing wall were found - probably a city wall of the First Temple period, dating to the 8th century BCE, as well as a large portion of the First Wall - Jerusalem's Hasmonean-era fortification. Other noteworthy discoveries include retaining walls and a sewage system from the time of Herod the Great that were part of Herod's Upper City palace; medieval installations, and a section of the curtain wall from the Crusader/Ayyubid period. The Qishle excavations have opened an extraordinary window onto underground Jerusalem, revealing a striking example of the ancient city's stratigraphy and allowing us a glimpse of the fascinating history of ancient Jerusalem"--back cover.

Discussion questions for The Qishle excavation in the Old City of Jerusalem

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  1. 1

    How does the physical layering of the Qishle excavation—where structures from the First Temple period, the Hasmonean era, Herod’s reign, the Crusades, and modern times sit one atop the other—change the way you visualize the passage of time and history in Jerusalem?

  2. 2

    The site itself transitions from an ancient royal palace and city fortifications to a 19th-century Ottoman/British prison (the Qishle), holding centuries of memory; how does the dual nature of this site as both a seat of power and a place of confinement influence our understanding of the city's past?

  3. 3

    Archaeology often forces us to confront the fragments and ruins left behind by powerful rulers like Herod the Great alongside the everyday infrastructure like sewage systems; what do these contrasting findings reveal about the priorities of ancient civilizations versus the realities of the people who lived in them?

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