The discovery came to light in East Jerusalem, the part of the Holy City that has been occupied and annexed by Israel
Israel’s archaeological services announced today that they discovered one “mysterious” handprint over the stonedating back over 1,000 years, in the outer part of its Old City Jerusalem.
The discovery came to light in East Jerusalem, the part of the Holy City that has been occupied and annexed by Israel, in excavations that revealed the remains of fortifications and a defensive moat dating back to before the Crusaders took Jerusalem in 1099, the Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA) in a statement.
Excavated into the rock, this moat, which is 10 meters long and can be up to seven meters deep in places, surrounded the city between two seven-meter-high walls, the IAA said.
According to historians of the time, it would have taken the French knights five weeks to breach the city’s defenses, the statement added.
Regarding the handprint, discovered near Herod’s Gate, in the northern part of the present-day walls of the Old City (built in the 16th century during the reign of Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent) “to this day, archaeologists have not been able to to penetrate the mystery of its meaning,” says the IAA.
“Is it the symbol of something? The indication that there is some special element nearby? Or is it just a local joke” he continues: “Perhaps we will find out in time.”
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With a wealth of experience honed over 4+ years in journalism, I bring a seasoned voice to the world of news. Currently, I work as a freelance writer and editor, always seeking new opportunities to tell compelling stories in the field of world news.
