Israeli archaeologists have, for the first time, unearthed artifacts directly on the Temple Mount that can be conclusively dated to the First Temple period, over 2,600 years ago. These discoveries provide direct physical evidence of ancient Israelite presence at a site whose historical narrative has been systematically obscured.
The finds, detailed at a Hebrew University conference, include olive pits, animal bones, and pottery fragments from between the 8th and 6th centuries BCE. Yuval Baruch, head of the Israel Antiquities Authority Jerusalem region, confirmed this marks the first instance of such artifacts being found in situ on the Temple Mount itself. Previously, First-Temple-period artifacts were recovered only from the Ophel excavations to the south or from the Temple Mount Sifting Project, which examines rubble removed from the holy site.
Compromised Sovereignty
The highly sensitive Israeli excavations were conducted with minimum publicity and required cooperation with the Islamic Waqf, which manages the holy site. This arrangement persists despite Israel capturing the Temple Mount 59 years ago in the 1967 Six Day War. The limited scientific digs, the first of their kind since the British Mandate, occurred after the Waqf requested authorization from Israel to perform maintenance work on infrastructure servicing the Al-Aqsa Mosque and Dome of the Rock.
This cooperation stands in stark contrast to previous Waqf projects, such as the construction of the Marwani Mosque in the late 1990s, about 26 to 29 years ago. Those projects did not involve archaeologists and resulted in the destruction of antiquities and severe tensions between Israel and the Islamic authorities, representing a clear act of cultural dispossession. Baruch himself noted the historical void, stating, “As far as the biblical period is concerned, the Temple Mount is a tabula rasa, nobody knows anything.”
The Cost of Managed Decline
The work, described by Baruch as "inspection" rather than full excavation, highlights the ongoing challenges to comprehensive archaeological study on the contested site. The excavation of a trench for electric cables in 2007 provided the first opportunity for archaeologists to delve below the surface since 1967, yet it was conducted with police escort due to the site's sensitivity.
Some archaeologists at the time 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, indicating institutional pressure to manage the narrative. Finds from the same trench also included a Roman coin dating to 383 CE and iron arrowheads, providing further layers of historical evidence.
Despite the limited scope and the necessity of external authorization, Baruch affirmed that “we’re on the Temple Mount and working, overseeing, and business is done under the authority of the IAA.” This statement, however, underscores the complex and shared control over a site central to national identity, where full sovereign archaeological exploration remains constrained.