By Pesach Benson • August 24, 2026
Jerusalem, 24 August, 2026 (TPS-IL) — Graves dating to the Second Temple period were uncovered in an ancient burial cave in Jerusalem during a police operation, the Israel Police said Monday. An initial examination by Israel Antiquities Authority experts determined that the graves date to the Second Temple period, which lasted from the sixth century BCE to the first century CE.
Border Police personnel discovered the burial cave beneath a building in the Silwan neighborhood near the Temple Mount while searching homes linked to an ongoing violent conflict between local families.
Additional archaeological finds were also uncovered.
A Second Temple Period burial cave discovered by Border Police personnel in Jerusalem on Aug. 24, 2026. Photo by Police Spokesperson/TPS-IL
