Israel is among the five candidate countries for the prestigious annual International Archaeological Discovery Award "Khaled al-Asaad" for an excavation conducted in the Western Wall Tunnels in Jerusalem, the Israel Antiquities Authority announced Tuesday.
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A dig headed by Israeli archeologists Barak Monnickendam-Givon and Tehila Sadiel discovered a hidden underground complex that experts think was used by the Jews to prepare for religious services during the Second Temple period before it was destroyed by the Romans in 70 AD.
"We are convinced that everything that now includes the square of the Western Wall was supported by a colonnade," Monnickendam-Givon said. "We will dig further to prove it."
Sadiel added that various subjects were also discovered in the rooms. "We found terracotta crockery, some bases of an oil lamp used to make light, a stone cup exceptional for the period and a fragment of qalal, [which is] a large stone container used for water, perhaps linked to the Jewish practices of the purification ritual".
The international award was named after Syrian archeologist Khaled al-Asaad, who has the head of antiquities at the heritage site of the ancient city of Palmyra, and was publicly beheaded by the Islamic State in 2015 after hiding precious artifacts to prevent them from ending up in the hands of the terrorist group that was known for destroying cultural heritage sites.
Also in the running for the award are Italy, Indonesia, Germany and Egypt. The winner will be chosen based on the number of likes and comments.
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