Ancient Moat and Mysterious Handprint Unearthed in Jerusalem

January 26, 2023

by: IAA

Thursday, 26 January 2023 | Elements of ancient Jerusalem’s fortifications and a mysterious hand imprint carved in the rock were uncovered at the Israel Antiquities Authority [IAA] excavations in Jerusalem. The archaeological excavations were carried out along the main Sultan Suleiman Street that runs adjacent to the city walls. A deep defensive moat that surrounded the city walls, probably dating from the 10 century AD and possibly earlier, was exposed. An unexplained carved hand imprint was discovered at one spot carved in the moat wall.

Zubair Adawi, IAA excavation director, uncovered the moat located just underneath the street. According to Adawi, “People are not aware that this busy street is built directly over a huge moat, an enormous rock-hewn channel, at least 10 meters [32.8 ft.] wide, and between 2–7 meters [6.5–22.9 ft.] deep. The moat, surrounding the entire Old City, dates back about 1,000 years to the 10th century AD or earlier, and its function was to prevent the enemy besieging Jerusalem from approaching the walls and breaking into the city. Moats, usually filled with water, are well-known from fortifications and castles in Europe, but here the moat was dry, its width and depth presenting an obstacle slowing down the attacking army.”

The impressive walls and gates of the Old City visible today were built in the 16th century by the Turkish Ottoman Sultan Suleiman I, the Magnificent. “The earlier fortification walls that surrounded the ancient city of Jerusalem were much stronger,” says Dr. Amit Re’em, Jerusalem regional director at the IAA. “In the eras of knights’ battles, swords, arrows and charging cavalry, the fortifications of Jerusalem were formidable and complex, comprising walls and elements to hold off large armies storming the city.”

Re’em says, “Armies trying to capture the city in the Middle Ages had to cross the deep moat and behind it two additional thick fortification walls, while the defenders of the city on the walls rained down on them fire and sulfur. As if this wasn’t enough, there were secret tunnels in the fortifications, some of them uncovered by the IAA archaeologists in previous excavations, whereby the city defenders could emerge into the moat and attack the enemy by surprise, and then disappear back into the city.”

“The historians who accompanied the First Crusade describe the arrival of the Crusaders at the walls of Jerusalem in June 1099. Exhausted by the journey, they stood opposite the huge moat, and only after five weeks succeeded in crossing it with deploying tactics and at the cost of much blood under heavy fire from the Moslem and Jewish defenders.”

In the course of the excavation, a mysterious handimprint was found carved in the moat wall. To date, the archaeologists have not deciphered the meaning of this carving. “Does it symbolize something? Does it point to a specific nearby element? Or is it just a local prank? Time may tell,” say the researchers.

According to Eli Escuzido, Director of the IAA: “Many dreamed about and fought for Jerusalem, and the city fortifications are a silent testimony. The archaeological finds enable us to visualize the dramatic events and the upheavals that the city underwent. One can really imagine the tumult and almost smell the battle smoke. We are daily unravelling the intensive military history of the city, and we will make great efforts to exhibit the finds to the general public.”

Posted on January 26, 2023

Source: (Excerpt from a press release originally published by the Israel Antiquities Authority on January 25, 2023. Time-related language has been modified to reflect our republication today.)

Photo Credit: Yoli Schwartz/Israel Antiquities Authority