Sunday, October 21, 2007

THE JERUSALEM QUARRY is the subject of a press release from the Israel Antiquities Authority:
For the First Time a Quarry has been Exposed that Supplied Enormous Stones for the Construction of the Temple Mount

In salvage excavations the Antiquities Authority conducted in the Ramat Shlomo neighborhood in Jerusalem, an ancient quarry was revealed that extended across an area of at least 5 dunams. The excavation was carried out as part of a project initiated by the Jerusalem Municipality for the purpose of building an elementary school for the children of the neighborhood. From this quarry huge stones were extracted that were used in the national construction projects in Jerusalem during the Second Temple period. This construction most likely also included the walls of the Temple Mount and other monumental buildings. Upon the discovery of the antiquities Mayor Rabbi Uri Lupolianski instructed that the work be halted and allocated 350,000 NIS for salvage excavations.


[...]
Background here and here. But somehow I doubt that this is relevant.

(Via Joseph I. Lauer's list.)