Iron Age Moat Discovered in Jerusalem Could Have Been Used For the Biblical City's Division, Defense

An Iron Age moat discovered in Jerusalem could have served purposes of division or defense millennia ago.

Ancient Moat Found in Jerusalem

The moat in Jerusalem consists of stone and is nearly 30 meters wide and six meters deep. It is situated at a bedrock ditch's bottom.

Based on its location, the moat is believed to have separated the majority of the ancient city from crucial holy sites, including the Temple Mount. This was according to the "An Early Iron Age Moat in Jerusalem between the Ophel and the Southeastern Ridge/City of David" study.

Researchers are not sure when the moat was exactly constructed. However, they believe that it may have been during the ninth century B.C or in the Iron Age. The exact purpose of the moat also remains unclear, as it could have served various functions and purposes.

Ancient Purposes

According to archaeology professor and study first author Yuval Gadot from Tel Aviv University, during the olden times, the moat served as a division that split the biblical city into two. These divisions were the acropolis with the palace and temple to the north and the older city towards the south. Gadot adds that if it was cut much earlier, which is something they are unable to prove, its purpose may have been to defend the city against the north.

The professor described the feat as one of its kind and a significant monumental project that could have only been conducted by the kings that governed the city.

Gadot further notes that the dating of the monument to the ninth century B.C. implies that it may have been linked to one of the early kings in Judah that were mentioned in the Old Testament. Gadot adds that the execution of such a kind of moat displays their ability and power to lead massive projects that changed and reshaped the city's natural topography for centuries.

During the early months of 2023, archaeologists were able to find two channel sets that were drilled into bedrock tunneling under the same parking lot where the moat is situated. The moat's discovery offers researchers novel insight regarding the ancient city's boundaries and possibly regarding the defense mechanisms used prehistorically.

However, according to Gadot, some questions still remain. These questions pertain to how the city was able to defend itself against the north, how the Temple Mount got incorporated into Jerusalem, and how it was linked to the older city.

The moat may have also been a defense structure for the north.

Gadot adds that thanks to other excavations, they were able to see that the moat enabled those who constructed the temple and palace over the Temple Mount, to limit the approach into the acropolis that was newly constructed.

The moat's usage went on until B.C. 332 to 63, during the Late Hellenistic period. This was when activities for construction backfilled the ditch and led to its cityscape disappearance.

Check out more news and information on Archaeology in Science Times.