Burnt Wooden Beams from First Temple Destruction Unearthed in City of David

Archaeologists from the Israel Antiquities Authority and Tel Aviv University have uncovered charred wooden beams dating back to the destruction of the First Temple in Jerusalem, around 586 BCE. The beams were found during excavations at the Givati Parking Lot site in the City of David, part of the Jerusalem Walls National Park. The beams had collapsed inside a building during the intense fire that destroyed the city. Researchers believe that melted plaster from the building’s walls covered and sealed the burnt wood, preserving it for approximately 2,600 years.

Efrat Bozer, the excavation director, explained that the beams likely served as roofing for an inner courtyard and fell onto the floor during the destruction. The plaster that melted during the fire covered the beams, aiding their exceptional preservation. Dr. Johanna Regev from the Israel Antiquities Authority highlighted the rarity of finding wood with many growth rings in Israel, noting that these beams offer significant research potential. The numerous rings allow for more precise dating, narrowing the timeframe from hundreds of years to about a decade.

Excavation leaders Dr. Yiftah Shalev and Prof. Yuval Gadot emphasized that the discovery reflects the intensity of the destruction, indicating the building was deliberately burned and collapsed suddenly. They also noted that during the Persian period, residents blocked access to the destroyed area but continued living in other parts of the structure. This deliberate choice to live alongside the ruins suggests a strong desire to preserve the memory of the catastrophe. Bozer remarked that the finding, uncovered just before the Jewish fast day of Tisha B’Av, offers a poignant glimpse into the moment of Jerusalem’s destruction, resonating deeply with the historical memory of the event.