Tisha B’Av Time Capsule: First Temple Period Destruction Unearthed in City of David
Tisha B’Av, the ninth of the Hebrew month Av, is known commonly as the “saddest day in the Jewish calendar.” Observed with fasting by many in the Jewish community, it commemorates a number of catastrophes in Jewish history—most notably, the destructions of both the first and second temples. Though debate surrounds the exact course of events on specific days of the destructions—for example, the Babylonian destruction is described in the Bible as occurring between the seventh and the 10th of Av (2 Kings 25:8; Jeremiah 52:12)—the first-century c.e. Jewish historian Josephus marveled at its parallels with the time of the destruction of the second temple by the Romans, for which he was an eyewitness: “[O]ne cannot but wonder at the accuracy of this period thereto relating; for the same month and day were now observed, as I said before, wherein the holy house was burnt formerly by the Babylonians” (Wars of the Jews, 6.4.8).
In the lead up to Tisha B’Av this year, a fascinating new discovery came to light—in this case, a time capsule of the Babylonian destruction of Jerusalem in 586 b.c.e.
Large wooden beams scorched during the siege were unearthed in the ongoing Givati Parking Lot excavations in the City of David, run by the Israel Antiquities Authority and Tel Aviv University. It is rare to find such preserved beams. Excavation director Efrat Bocher explained the reason for their preservation, saying: “The beams appear to have served as the roof of an inner courtyard in a building from the First Temple Period. During the destruction, they collapsed onto the floor. We believe that the plaster cladding of the building’s walls, melted by the fire, covered the charred wooden beams, and ultimately enabled their exceptional preservation.”
The preservation of such organic material, complete with growth rings, allows for exceptional dating ability. In the words of radiocarbon dating specialist Dr. Johanna Regev: “It is very rare in Israel to find wood with such a large number of growth rings. Here, in the City of David, we found thick beams with many rings, offering significant research potential—with more growth rings enabling higher dating resolution. … Now we can attain much greater precision, narrowing the dating range down to as little as 10 years.”
Additionally, it seems that a deliberate choice was made by the returning Jews to ancient Jerusalem to leave the charred wood remains in place. In the words of co-director Dr. Yiftah Shalev: “The concept of a landscape of memory is familiar from many cultures around the world. Preserving memory is a human need, seeking to preserve what once existed. Here we see it in its clearest form: a deliberate choice to leave ruins in place as a testament to the destruction and build the new layer over them.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1P2lfAdk8hU
Bocher noted the significance of the discovery in relation to Tisha B’Av. “We are just before Tisha B’Av,” she said. “This discovery makes you feel that you are witnessing the very moment of destruction, the moment when it all happened. It’s deeply moving.” In the words of Minister of Heritage Amichai Eliyahu:
Jerusalem’s soil continues to provide tangible evidence of the city’s ancient past. The wooden beams burned in the destruction of the First Temple stand as a powerful reminder of the Jewish people’s presence in Jerusalem some 2,600 years ago. On the eve of Tisha B’Av, this discovery underscores that our connection to Jerusalem is rooted not only in faith, but also in history, archaeology, and collective memory. It is our responsibility to continue uncovering, preserving and passing this heritage on to future generations.
We await more exciting finds from the Givati Parking Lot excavations, as well as our own Ophel excavation, which is currently underway and revealing significant remains from both the first and second temple periods. You can keep up-to-date with progress via our blog here.