Eli Shukron[1] and Yoel Bin-Nun
A Matzevah Temple from the Period of the Patriarchs in the City of Salem, Later the City of David
The archaeologist Eli Shukron excavated in the City of David together with Prof. Roni Reich on behalf of the Israel Antiquities Authority for a period of 17 years. Among their discoveries was the large pool connected with the Gihon Spring, located just to its south, together with the spring’s enclosure. In 2010, an unusual structure was uncovered just above the pool and the enclosure, containing the following features:
An entrance staircase from the east that leads to a flat surface hewn in the rock, with several parallel rooms – the most important of which is the room with the matzevah, in the central part of the building. The entrance staircase and the rooms hewn into the rock are clearly components belonging to a single structure.
The matzevah –
The unique matzevah[2] is made of a thin slab of rock whose width is a mere five centimeters. Its height is 55 cm. and its length is 85 cm. This plain slab of rock, which contains no images, was found placed on an exposed, hewn stone, and is held in place with strong supporting rocks that were placed beneath it and around all of its sides.
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