Buzz
Researchers believe they have uncovered the elusive Acra fortress, a long-lost structure from ancient Jerusalem, hidden beneath a parking area.
Built around 2200 years ago by Antiochus Epiphanes, ruler of the Seleucid empire, the stone stronghold was designed to dominate Jerusalem and suppress its Jewish population. The Maccabees later overthrew Epiphanes in the 2nd century BCE, leading to speculation that the fortress was destroyed.
As reported by Sci-News, a team from the Israel Antiquities Authority unearthed a tower foundation, a section of a massive wall, and a defensive slope made of stone, earth, and plaster. Additionally, coins from the reigns of Antiochus IV Epiphanes and Antiochus VII Sidetes, both 2nd-century BCE rulers, were found, confirming the fortress's age and its non-Jewish occupants.
Researchers also discovered traces of conflicts surrounding the fortress, which measured approximately 750 feet in length and 120 feet in width. Among the findings were slingshots, arrowheads, and ballista stones marked with a trident, the emblem of Antiochus.
For centuries, the exact location of the fortress was a topic of debate among scholars. While some believed it was situated in Jerusalem's Old City, the Forward reports, Acra was ultimately discovered in southern Jerusalem, close to the area once governed by the biblical King David.
Excavations at the site will continue, aiming to reveal more details about its residents and the prolonged sieges that led to Acra's demise. “This groundbreaking find enables us to reconstruct the city’s layout for the first time, particularly during the period leading up to the Maccabean Revolt in 167 BCE,” the archaeologists stated.
