2,100-Year-Old Ceasefire? Archaeologists Uncover Longest Hasmonean Wall Foundation in Jerusalem

Archaeologists have completed excavation of the most extensive continuous stretch yet found of a foundation that once supported walls encircling ancient Jerusalem, and say it may offer physical evidence of a ceasefire dating back about 2,100 years.

A Major Hasmonean Discovery

The dig, concluded last week, exposed the most intact portion discovered so far of fortifications built during the Hasmonean Kingdom — the dynasty associated with the historical events that inspired Hanukkah. The revealed foundation measures nearly 50 meters (164 feet) long and about 5 meters (16 feet) wide. Archaeologists believe it once supported walls taller than the present ramparts surrounding Jerusalem's Old City, most of which date to the Ottoman period centuries later.

Signs of Deliberate Dismantling

One striking feature of the uncovered foundation is evidence that the superstructure above it was uniformly lowered to a consistent height, rather than having been toppled chaotically by warfare or erosion. Dr. Amit Re'em of the Israel Antiquities Authority notes this controlled dismantling could reflect a deliberate policy rather than accidental destruction.

Historical Context: Ancient historian Flavius Josephus records that in 132–133 B.C., Seleucid King Antiochus VII (Sidetes) besieged Jerusalem. Facing pressure, Hasmonean ruler John Hyrcanus I negotiated terms that included tearing down the city's fortifications to secure the withdrawal of Antiochus's army — an account that aligns with the archaeological pattern seen at this site.

Why Only This Section?

Not all exposed sections of Hasmonean defenses show the same deliberate leveling, so researchers caution that the dismantling may have applied only to this segment of the wall. Some archaeologists suggest the cleared stretch might later have served as a foundation for subsequent construction, such as parts of Herod’s complex. It is considered unlikely Jerusalem was left entirely undefended for extended periods.

Workers from the Israel Antiquities Authority clean a section of an excavation site where, according to the institution, a city wall from the Hasmonean period, dating to the late 2nd century BCE, was uncovered under the Tower of David Citadel Museum, in the Old City of Jerusalem, Dec. 8, 2025. / Credit: Leo Correa / AP

Found Under an Old Prison Wing

The foundation was discovered beneath an abandoned wing of the Kishleh, a building erected in 1830 as a military compound. That wing later served as a prison, including during the British Mandate; graffiti in English, Hebrew and Arabic and remnants of iron cell bars remain. Most of the Kishleh still houses Israeli police functions, but the disused wing has been transferred to the Tower of David Museum.

Excavation and Museum Plans

Excavations at the site began in 1999 but were interrupted during the Second Intifada around 2000 and resumed recently. Archaeologists removed, by hand over the past two years, the equivalent of about two Olympic-size swimming pools of soil and debris. The dig also uncovered medieval dye pits, likely used for textile coloring. The Tower of David Museum plans to install a floating glass floor above the ruins and convert the hall into a gallery within its Schulich Wing of Archaeology, Art and Innovation; those renovations are expected to take at least two years.

Related Finds

Nearly a year ago, in December 2024, Israeli archaeologists announced the discovery of a hoard of roughly 160 coins attributed to King Alexander Jannaeus, the Hasmonean dynasty’s second ruler. Found in the Jordan Valley on the third day of Hanukkah, researchers described that timing as symbolically meaningful because of Alexander Jannaeus’s dynastic link to the leaders of the revolt traditionally associated with Hanukkah. More recently, teams in northern Israel reported evidence of an ancient religious practice and uncovered a wine press dated to about 5,000 years ago.

What This Means: While definitive proof linking the dismantling to the specific ceasefire described by Josephus cannot be established from a single site, the uniform lowering of the wall corroborates historical accounts and adds an important physical dimension to our understanding of Jerusalem’s turbulent Hellenistic-era history.