First discovery of its kind: a collection of antiquities from the days of the First Temple found in the City of David Israel today

A rare and prestigious collection of decorated ivories from the time of the First Temple was discovered in the City of David.

It seems that the luxury items were placed in a throne bed that was placed in a magnificent royal building.

., Photo: Eliyahu Yanai, City of David

The discovery, which was uncovered in excavations at the Givat parking lot in the City of David, funded by the City of David Association (ELD), sheds new light on the power and importance of Jerusalem during the Kingdom of Judah, and will be presented for the first time at the 23rd City of David Research Conference.

., Photo: Eliyahu Yanai, City of David

The ivories, which in the ancient world were considered one of the most valuable raw materials, even more than gold, were found among the ruins of a large governmental building, which operated during the period when Jerusalem reached the height of its power (8th-7th centuries BCE). According to the researchers, the decorated ivories were placed in wooden furniture which were used by the occupants of the building - figures with means, influence and power, ministers or priests.

The inlay of the ivories in the throne beds, photo: Shalom Kevler, City of David

The rare items will be presented next Tuesday at the 23rd City of David Research Conference.

Also, the findings will be presented at the Jerusalem conference of the Antiquities Authority, Tel Aviv University and the Hebrew University, which will be held in October.

., Photo: Yaniv Berman, Antiquities Authority

The directors of the excavation, Dr. Yeftah Shalu from the Antiquities Authority and Prof. Yuval Gadot from the Department of Archeology and Ancient Near Eastern Cultures at Tel Aviv University: "Until now, we have known decorated ivories only from the capitals of the great kingdoms in the days of the First Temple.

Now, for the first time, Jerusalem also joins these capitals."

., Photo: Eliyahu Yanai, City of David

They add: "The importance of Jerusalem in the days of the First Temple was known to us in the past, but the new find illustrates to us how important it was, and places it in the same line as the capitals of the great kingdoms." 

The impressive building inside which the ivories were discovered was destroyed by a large fire, apparently during the Babylonian destruction of Jerusalem in 586 BCE, and the ivories were discovered crushed into tiny, burnt pieces. During the excavation, no fewer than 1,500 fragments were discovered. Understand that the collection includes the remains of at least 12 small plates, which were originally embedded inside the wooden furniture."

., Photo: Yaniv Berman, Antiquities Authority

The ivories that were discovered were not the only luxury items in the place.

Also found in the building was a seal made of agate (a semi-precious stone), jugs filled with wine flavored with vanilla, a seal impression with the name "Nathanmelech Abd Hamelech", decorated stone items, and wooden items that were probably part of large furniture.

"The prestige of ivory is also related to the expertise required to process it," explain Prof. Gadot and Dr. Shalu.

It is possible that the ivories arrived in Jerusalem as a gift sent from Assyria." 

., Photo: Yaniv Berman, Antiquities Authority

Minister of Culture and Sports Hili Troper welcomed the rare find: "The discovery of the Jerusalem ivories in the City of David ignites the imagination, and connects the past with the present and our eternal future in our country. The Antiquities Authority leads the archaeological activity that yields impressive discoveries in the City of David and in other parts of the country, and surprises every time with its successes To locate lost treasures of the past".

Eli Escozido, director of the Antiquities Authority: "The excavations in the City of David never cease to surprise. This time, with the help of delicate and astonishing work by conservators and researchers, we got a glimpse of the daily life of people who lived here thousands of years ago. These discoveries breathe life into the ancient stones." 

were we wrong

We will fix it!

If you found an error in the article, we would appreciate it if you shared it with us