Tikvah
Editors’ Pick

December 16, 2025

The Largest Section Yet of the Hasmonean Wall of Jerusalem, Revealed

An almost-impenetrable barrier.

After cementing their control of Jerusalem in 141 BCE, the Hasmonean dynasty—the descendants of Judah the Maccabee of Hanukkah fame—set about building a major wall around the city. Parts of the wall had been uncovered by archaeologists years ago, but recent excavations just exposed the biggest segment of it found to date. Nathan Steinmeyer writes: 

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