Tikvah
Editors’ Pick

July 8, 2026

The Unexplored First Temple-Era Treasures of the Ophel

The remains of Jerusalem’s former royal quarter.

Extending south of the Temple Mount toward the city’s eastern ridge, the elevated area of Jerusalem known as the Ophel is now a large archaeological site, one still yielding new treasures some 60 years after the first excavations. While one need only dig around a little in Israeli soil to find ancient artifacts, the Ophel contains a sizeable number of relatively rare items from the First Temple period—in addition to those from later eras. Brent Nagtegaal describes the importance of what archaeologists term Area E of this former central district of the city:

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