Wooden relic from First Temple era survives ancient destruction in Jerusalem
Archaeologists in Jerusalem have discovered 2,600-year-old charred sycamore wood beams from the First Temple era. The wood was preserved by a layer of melted plaster that sealed the remains after the building collapsed during a fire.
Why it matters
This discovery provides rare, tangible evidence of the destruction of Solomon's Temple and offers researchers a precise way to date historical events using growth rings and radiocarbon testing.
In the current world, it is highly unlikely to come across intact wood that is thousands of years old and yet untouched. During an archaeological excavation in the area known as the Givati Parking Lot in the City of David, a team of researchers recently uncovered charred remains dating to the Iron Age, from the time of the destruction of Jerusalem's First Temple in 586 B.C. as per a report by AS. Alongside these fragments, researchers also found conifer wood containing numerous well-preserved growth rings.A preserved relicThe thick beams discovered were made of sycamore wood and as per experts, once formed part of the roof of an interior courtyard. Efrat Bocher, an excavation director, said that the beams "appear to have served as the roof of an inner courtyard."
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