An impressive ancient tunnel, hewn into the rock and measuring about 50 meters (164 feet) long, was discovered unexpectedly near Kibbutz Ramat Rachel in Jerusalem. The extraordinary find was uncovered in archaeological excavations carried out by the Israel Antiquities Authority ahead of the construction of a new neighborhood, funded and initiated by the Israel Land Authority.
"We were excavating in relatively rocky and exposed terrain when we suddenly discovered a natural karstic cavity," said Dr. Sivan Mizrahi and Zinovy Matskevich, the excavation directors on behalf of the Israel Antiquities Authority. "To our astonishment, as the excavation progressed, this space developed into a long tunnel. Parts of it are still collapsed, so the tunnel has not yet had the final word."
Access to the ancient complex from ground level was through a flight of stairs that descended to a hewn opening and led into the tunnel. The tunnel was found filled with alluvial soil, which had apparently entered it over hundreds, and perhaps thousands, of years.
Excavation at several points inside the tunnel showed that it reaches a height of up to 5 meters (16 feet) and is about 3 meters (10 feet) wide. "The quarrying was carried out with great precision, and it is clear that whoever carved the tunnel invested heavily in it, planned it, and had the ability and resources needed to achieve the goal," the excavation directors said. For now, the tunnel's purpose remains unclear to the excavation directors.
At first, researchers raised the possibility that it was part of an ancient water system, and that the tunnel's purpose was to reach a spring source. That assumption was rejected, among other reasons because the tunnel walls are not plastered, a common feature of ancient water installations. In addition, after consulting with a geologist, it emerged that no underground water horizons are known in this area, and no signs of water accumulation were found in the tunnel itself.
The possibility that it was some kind of underground agricultural or industrial installation was then examined, but the scale of the work and the absence of similar sites in the area ruled out that option.
The researchers' current assessment, then, is that the tunnel was intended to reach a layer of chalk rock suitable for quarrying building stones or producing lime. Possible evidence for this includes a hewn shaft in the tunnel ceiling, which may have served for ventilation, as well as quarrying debris discovered on the tunnel floor. But this assessment, too, comes with question marks. Alternatively, the findings may indicate that the work of quarrying and installing the tunnel was never completed, which is why its purpose and nature remain unknown.
"Even the date of the tunnel is a mystery to us, since not a single find, however small, was discovered that might hint at when it was created," Mizrahi and Matskevich said. "At the same time, the tunnel is located just a few hundred meters, as the crow flies, from two significant ancient sites: an Iron Age public building from the First Temple period in Jerusalem's Arnona neighborhood, and Tel Ramat Rachel, where settlement remains have been documented from the Iron Age through the Islamic period."
Dr. Amit Re'em, the Jerusalem district archaeologist at the Israel Antiquities Authority, added: "This week we are marking Jerusalem Day. This discovery joins many others being uncovered in the city day by day, hour by hour. The archaeologists and researchers of the Israel Antiquities Authority have their hands full, because this city never ceases to surprise. Usually we have explanations for the discoveries we uncover, but sometimes, as in this case, we are left astonished and speechless."
Heritage Minister Rabbi Amichai Eliyahu said, "During the week of Jerusalem Day, this special discovery reminds us of the deep and ancient connection between the people of Israel and Jerusalem. Beneath the city's soil, immense life projects, works of creation and construction are revealed time and again, testifying to generations of people who lived and worked here and left their mark. Jerusalem is not only the capital of the State of Israel today; it is also the heart of the historical story of the Jewish people, which continues to be revealed before our eyes."
The impressive discovery is expected to be incorporated into an archaeological park for the benefit of the public and the residents of the neighborhood planned for the site by the Israel Land Authority.
