Archaeologists uncover mysterious ancient tunnel near biblical Kingdom of Judah site in Jerusalem

Excavators recently uncovered a “mysterious and impressive” ancient tunnel in Jerusalem, not far from archaeological sites tied to the biblical Kingdom of Judah.The discovery was announced by the Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA) in a May 14 statement.The tunnel was found near Kibbutz Ramat Rachel, an archaeological site tied to the biblical-era Kingdom of Judah, according to previous IAA excavations.The rock-hewn tunnel is about 164 feet long and was found ahead of construction on a new residential neighborhood north of Ramat Rachel.The tunnel is around 16 feet tall and roughly 10 feet wide — and officials note that the rock-cutting “was executed meticulously.”“The tunnel itself was discovered filled with layers of soil that had accumulated over hundreds, perhaps even thousands, of years,” the IAA said.“It is clear that whoever carved this tunnel invested tremendous effort [and] careful planning, and possessed the capabilities and resources necessary to achieve this goal.”Excavation directors Sivan Mizrahi and Zinovi Matskevich told the IAA the discovery was unexpected.“We were excavating in relatively rocky and exposed terrain when suddenly we discovered a natural karstic cavity,” the pair said in a joint statement.“To our amazement, as the excavation progressed, this cavity developed into a long tunnel.Parts of it are still collapsed, so the tunnel has not yet revealed all of its secrets.”In 2020, IAA excavations near Ramat Rachel revealed seal impressions and structures tied to the Kingdom of Judah, indicating that “governmental activity took place in the area,” the organization said at the time.No evidence that’s been uncovered so far, however, directly connects the newly discovered tunnel to the Kingdom of Judah or the biblical era — and the age of the tunnel is unknown.“The tunnel lies only a few hundred meters, as the crow flies, from two significant ancient sites — a public building from the Iron Age (Fi...