Archaeologists Unearth Charred Wooden Beams From First Beis Hamikdash Destruction
In a remarkable discovery, archaeologists excavating Jerusalem’s City of David uncovered rare charred wooden beams believed to date back to the Babylonian destruction of the First Beis Hamikdash nearly 2,600 years ago. Researchers say the exceptionally well-preserved timbers offer rare physical evidence of the destruction of Yerushalayim in 586 BCE • Read More
Israeli archaeologists have uncovered a rare collection of charred wooden beams believed to have been burned during the destruction of the First Beis Hamikdash by the Babylonian army nearly 2,600 years ago.
The discovery was made during excavations in the City of David, where archaeologists from the Israel Antiquities Authority and Tel Aviv University uncovered the remains of a large building that collapsed in the massive fire which consumed Yerushalayim during the Babylonian conquest in 586 BCE.
According to the researchers, the wooden beams were remarkably preserved beneath layers of collapsed plaster that sealed them from the elements for more than two millennia. Preserved wood from the First Temple period is extremely rare in Eretz Yisroel, making the find especially significant.
Scientists are now examining the wood’s growth rings using advanced dendrochronology techniques, which they say may allow them to date the beams with unprecedented precision and provide new insight into Jerusalem during the final years before the Churban.
They found this days before Tisha B’Av, when Jews around the world mourn the destruction of both Batei Mikdash. Archaeologists say the discovery offers a tangible reminder of one of the most significant events in Jewish history, preserving physical evidence of the devastation described in Tanach.
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