Tuesday, November 17, 2015

Antiochus IV's Fortress Of Acra In Jerusalem Discovered

A very cool archaeological discovery:

The Detroit Free Press: Ancient Greek fortress may solve archaeological mystery in Jerusalem

Archaeologists believe they have unearthed the ancient remains of the Greek fortress of Acra.

The discovery solves one of the city's “greatest archaeological mysteries,” the Israel Antiquities Authority said Tuesday. The 2,000-year-old remains were found under a parking lot in the City of David in the Jerusalem Walls National Park.

For the past 100 years, archaeologists have puzzled over the location of the ancient fortress, which was used by Antiochus IV Epiphanes to monitor activity on Template Mount and subdue the Jewish population.

The fortress was finally retaken from the Greeks by the Hasmoneans in 141 BC, and its discovery before Hannukah is rather timely.

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