Israeli archaeologists, operating under the state’s authority on a site captured 59 years ago, announced the first in situ artifacts conclusively dated to the First Temple period on the Temple Mount. These discoveries mark a significant assertion of control over historical narrative and contested territory, reinforcing the state’s presence on the holy site.
The findings, detailed in a paper and presentations at a Hebrew University conference, include olive pits, animal bones, and pottery fragments dating to the First Temple period, between the 8th and 6th centuries BCE, over 2,600 years ago. These artifacts were unearthed during limited scientific excavations carried out atop the Temple Mount between 2007 and the past year, the first of their kind since the British Mandate.
The highly sensitive Israeli excavations were conducted with “minimum publicity” in cooperation with the Islamic Waqf, which manages the holy site. Yuval Baruch, the head of the Israel Antiquities Authority Jerusalem region, stated that while the finds were “very limited,” they confirmed the existence of First Temple period remains directly on the Mount, a site he previously described as a “tabula rasa” for the biblical period.
The State's Assertion of Control
The opportunity for archaeologists to delve below the surface of the contested holy site first arose in 2007 during the excavation of a trench for electric cables. This operation, occurring 59 years after Israel captured the site in the 1967 Six Day War, was conducted with a “police escort” due to the sensitivity of the location. The Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA) presented these findings at a Hebrew University conference, marking the most detailed public presentation of nearly a decade of work, following limited announcements in the past.
Previous archaeological finds from the First Temple period in Jerusalem were recovered from the Ophel excavations to the south of the Mount, and from the Temple Mount Sifting Project, which examines rubble believed to have been removed from the holy site and dumped in the nearby Kidron Valley. The current in situ discoveries directly on the Mount serve to further legitimize the state’s archaeological claims and presence.
Managing Contradictions
The digs were carried out after the Waqf requested authorization from Israel to perform maintenance work on infrastructure servicing the Al-Aqsa Mosque and Dome of the Rock, the main structures situated atop the Temple Mount. This arrangement represents a managed contradiction, as previous Waqf projects, such as the construction of the Marwani Mosque about 26 to 29 years ago, did not involve cooperation with archaeologists. Those earlier projects resulted in the “destruction of antiquities” and “severe tensions” between Israel and the Islamic authorities, highlighting the ongoing struggle for control over the site and its historical narrative.
Some archaeologists criticized the 2007 operation, stating it was not conducted with “professional and careful archaeological supervision involving meticulous documentation.” The Israel Antiquities Authority’s detailed presentation of the finds also served to rebut critics who claim the Temple Mount is a scene of “archaeological bedlam,” framing the state’s actions as orderly and legitimate.
Archaeology as Statecraft
The finds on the Temple Mount itself range from a previously undocumented monumental structure believed to be from the 11th and 12th centuries, to artifacts from Roman times, including a Roman coin dating to 383 CE, 1,643 years ago. The most significant of these finds, dug up during the laying of the power cable approximately 400 feet southeast of the Dome of the Rock, was a jumble of remains dating to the First Temple period, confirmed by Carbon 14 dating of olive pits.
These digs represent the first archaeological study atop the Temple Mount since the 1930s, about 90 to 96 years ago. Yuval Baruch explicitly stated that despite all statements, “we’re on the Temple Mount and working, overseeing, and business is done under the authority of the IAA,” underscoring the state’s assertion of control over the historical and physical landscape. Additional findings from the work conducted by the Israel Antiquities Authority, including conservation work in Solomon’s Stables in the past year, have yet to be published, indicating ongoing state-sanctioned activity on the contested site.