Excavations in Silwan
Giv’ati Parking Lot Excavations
- Excavation of the IAA (Israel’s Antiquities Authority). Manager of the excavation: Doron Ben Ami.
- The largest contiguous area presently under excavation.
- Salvage excavation for private construction which is still unlicensed: maybe for parking tower, commercial center or above ground or below ground.
- Excavation in quadrants (each section of the excavation is carried down to bedrock in turn).
- Bordered by the Crowfoot excavations on the south and by the Macalister excavations on the east.

Here, in an area that includes the crest of the ridge and the eastern slopes of the Tyropoeon valley, unique remains of an ‘Abassid-period domestic quarter (possibly Qaraite) were revealed, and beneath them massive Byzantine period foundations, a very large 1st century CE two-story structure, showing violent destruction (probably 70 CE), and some earlier remains including a Hellenistic terrace wall, and 8th century BCE structure, and an earlier deposit (9th century BCE?).
The ‘Abassid and most of the Byzantine remains were dismantled in order to reveal more of the 1st century structure, identified by the present excavator as a palace of the princes of Adiabene.
Publications: R. Reich and E. Shukron, HA 117

The Visitors’ Center Excavations
- Excavation by Elat Mazar under the academic sponsorship of the Hebrew University.
- Most of the area was previously excavated by Macalister and Duncan in 1923-25.
- Excavations are located on the crest of the ridge.

On the east – a rock scarp enveloped by a stone and earth rampart to permit construction on the ridge; this construction is dated to the 13th-10th centuries BCE (others: 12th-11th centuries B.C.E). Foundations of a large structure, much-damaged by Roman period and later activity, abut the stone mantle of the rampart. They extend north of the excavation, to an area excavated in the past by Kenyon. Floors with Iron I material (12th-11th centuries B.C.E) might be related to the large structure, as well as a fill containing 10th century pottery; the latter has been used to link the structure to King David.
The midsection of the area contains the remains of a Byzantine structure and the western area appears to contain Roman and later remains.
Publications: R.A.S. Macalister and J.G. Duncan Excavations on the Hill of Ophel, Jerusalem 1923–1925 (PEFA 4). London 1926.
E. Mazar. Preliminary Report on the City of David Excavations 2005 at the Visitors Center Area. Jerusalem: Shalem Press. 2007.
Israel Finkelstein, Ze’ev Herzog, Lily Singer-Avitz, David Ussishkin. Has King David’s Palace in Jerusalem Been Found? Tel Aviv 34:142-164.

Area G (Shiloh expedition’s terminology)
- Macalister excavations (20’s), Kenyon (60’s), then Shiloh (78-85) and E. Mazar (2007)
- The area was designated as an antiquities area by the British Mandate.

To the west—a fortification line, probably Hellenistic (difficult to date in view of the absence of deposits abutting the wall from within), that uses or cuts the stepped stone mantle. Shiloh found parts of a late Hellenistic glacis that probably went to the base of this line and its two towers. The stone mantle overlies a series of support walls and earth fills that create “boxes”, dated to the 13th century BCE. The stone mantle is cut by Iron Age houses (one complete house – “the house of Ahiel”, and parts of two others) that form part of a quarter built in steep terraces (like old Silwan). These were elite residences destroyed in the catastrophe of 586 BCE. The foundation of the houses is in dispute: some contend that they date as early as the 10th century (Shiloh dated them later).
Special finds: part of a late Canaanite style bronze statue and cultic stand; arrowheads and parts of furniture in the house burnt in 586; 51 bullae from the Shiloh excavations, including many stamped with known and unknown Hebrew names, and most lately – many bullae and arrowheads from the Mazar excavations.
Publications: Y. Shiloh. Excavations at the City of David I. Jerusalem 1984.

Kenyon Excavations
- The excavations were carried out in a number of excavation fields in the City of David/Silwan, but most of these were filled in after excavation.
- The last excavation season was shortly after the six-day war. The excavator refused to continue excavating under occupation.

To the East of Area G, beyond the visible excavation area, Kenyon’s main trench continued down slope to the Middle Bronze and 8th century BCE fortifications, at about 1/3 the height of the slope (these are still visible from the stairs leading down to the spring).
Publications: K.M. Kenyon Digging Up Jerusalem. London 1974.
M.L. Steiner. Excavations by Kathleen M. Kenyon in Jerusalem 1961-1967, Volume III. Sheffield 2001.

The Gihon Spring Excavations
- Charles Warren discovered the shaft in 1867; Parker and Vincent studied the entire system in 1911; the Shiloh expedition re-cleared Warren’s shaft, Reich and Shukron (since 1995) expanded greatly the excavation area under existing houses (including the ‘Abassi house).
- There is currently no access to the spring from its historic entrance at the bottom of the slope (medieval structure).

The current excavations are centered at the source of the spring and of the water systems. The new results indicate that the first stage of appropriation of the waters of the Gihon occurred in the Middle Bronze Age (1700 BCE), when two massive towers were built, a large pool hewn into the rock, and a covered channel (Channel II) carved along the slope to lead the waters to a point further south (“the King’s Gardens”). At this point the horizontal part of Warren’s shaft was hewn, allowing the town dwellers to approach the spring and pool. Dating the first water system to the Middle Bronze Age has important implications for other water systems in Israel, as it proves that Canaanites possessed impressive hydrological and engineering capabilities.
In the second stage of the system, the Shiloah (Hezekiah’s) Tunnel was carved and the vertical shaft was discovered and joined to the horizontal part of the “Warren’s Shaft” system.
Publications: C.W. Wilson, C. Warren et al. The Recovery of Jerusalem. New York 1871.
L.-H. Vincent. Underground Jerusalem. London 1911.
R. Reich and E. Shukron 1999. Light at the End of the Tunnel. Biblical Archaeology Review 25: 22–33, 72.
R. Reich and E. Shukron 2004. The History of the Gihon Spring in Jerusalem. Levant 36: 211–223

Area E
- The main area excavated by Y. Shiloh, on the land acquired by Edmond de Rothschild for the purpose of excavation.
- The expanded settler construction on the Ghozlan property is directly atop the Area E antiquities.

Crossing the area from north to south is the main line of Middle Bronze Age fortification (17th century BCE) and directly atop of it the the 8th century BCE fortification.
The city expanded eastward in the course of the 8th century, and additional wall lines were built. Generally this was a middle to lower class neighborhood. It was largely abandoned during the 7th century BCE and only isolated structures were destroyed in 586 BCE. This evidence for the dissolution of the urban fabric during the 7th century casts an interesting light on the events of the early 6th century.
Following the destruction—only sporadic occupation of the slope. Terraces, a columbarium, burials—all of the 3rd - 2nd centuries BCE; i.e., this area was outside the built up part of the city from that time onwards.
Publications: Y. Shiloh. Excavations at the City of David I. Jerusalem 1984.

The Weill Excavations
- Excavations in 1913-1914 by Raymond Weill, in an area purchased by Baron de Rothschild

Very few in situ remains in this excavation, due to the extensive Byzantine (?) quarries. The main visible remains are two large chambers carved in the rock; these were identified by the excavator as the tombs of the Kings of the house of David (tradition relates that the kings were buried within the City of David). However, these do not seem to be tombs at all, but large storage magazines of a far later time.
Special find: The Theodotus synagogue inscription of the 1st century CE (found out of context).
Publications: R. Reich. The City of David : Revisiting Early Excavations / English Translations of Reports by: Raymond Weill and L.-H. Vincent (notes and comments by Ronny Reich ; edited by Hershel Shanks). Washington: Biblical Archaeology Society 2004.

The Horse Area
- E. Shukron, IAA “Salvage Excavation”.
Massive fill on east slope of Tyropoeon valley.
Within the fill—Byzantine structures.
Beneath the fill—remains of the main street of the Early Roman period: the paving was not preserved, but 170 m of the well-preserved drainage system have been excavated. The drain appears to have served as an escape route during the catastrophe of 70 CE. A number of skeletons of uncertain date have recently come to light in the drain.

Siloam Pool
- IAA “Salvage Excavation” – R. Reich and E. Shukron

Remains of a massive, stone paved and stepped pool, and the beginning of two stepped streets leading up the hill along the eastern slope of the Tyropoeon valley.
In the past, remains of maybe Roman fortifications were observed to the south, as well as remains of Byzantine churches.
Publications: R. Reich and E. Shukrun 2004. The Siloan Pool in the Wake of recent Discoveries. New Studies On Jerusalem 10: 137–140 (Hebrew).
E. Shukron and R. Reich 2007. Recently Discovered Remains of the Stepped Street that Ascends from the Pool of Siloam to the Temple Mount. City of David Studies of Ancient Jerusalem 2: 13–26 (Hebrew).

Slope of Mt Zion
- Opposite the mosque: excavation by Z. Greenhut, IAA.

Rock-cut foundations of spacious houses; presently the area is gradually filling up with garbage and sewage pipes from the settlers’ homes.
Publications: Z. Greenhut 2006. A Second Temple Domestic Quarter on the Lower Slopes of the Western Hill—Jerusalem. New Studies On Jerusalem 11:147–159 (Hebrew).

Above Silwan
- IAA excavation by Y. Zelinger.

Additional Literature
A.G. Vaughn and A.E. Killebrew eds. Jerusalem in Bible and Archaeology: The First Temple Period. Atlanta: SBL, 2003.
H. Geva ed. Ancient Jerusalem Revealed. Jerusalem 2000.