
A Glimpse into the Difficulties of Conducting Archaeology in Jerusalem
Three weeks ago, we transferred more of the Temple Mount debris piles to our sifting site, which were buried in the upper terraces of Emek Tzurim. Unfortunately, we had to leave a lot of the soil behind to preserve the terraces and the trees.
Here's…

Even the Shattered Fragments of the Tablets Contain Meaning
Moses breaking the tablets, Gustav Dora (1832-1883).
Yesterday was the 17th day of Tammuz, which is considered one of the four fasts observed by the Jewish People in order to commemorate the destruction of Jerusalem and the First and Second…

A Piercing Insight Into Ancient Beads
When coming into the sifting site, groups are shown into a gallery where a few of our finds are displayed, and our guides are presented with a tough choice – with limited time, which do you point out and discuss?
Personally,…

Find and Finder of the Month: Robert Kolb found a Spindle Whorl with a significant number
Robert Kolb with the spindle whorl
Our latest Finder of the Month is Robert Kolb, a retired US Army officer. Robert tells us that he “was so excited to have played a small part in helping us understand the history of this amazing country.…

An Important Letter from the Temple Mount Sifting Project
The story of the Temple Mount Sifting Project is your story just as much as it is ours. Ever since its founding, the project has continuously relied upon people just like you. It is our many followers, supporters and volunteers who play a vital…

The Deeper Meaning of the Temple and Your Part in Continuing Revealing it
The Jewish people commemorate and mourn the destruction of the Temple every year in the Jewish date 9th of Av. This year it turns on Shabbat, so the mourning will not take place tomorrow but on Sunday, the 10th of Av. The first days of the…

Giving our Half-Shekel
It's that time of year for giving the traditional charity reminiscent of the half-shekel donation to the Temple. Here's a little calculation of how serious that seemingly simple donation actually was! And some ideas for how to make your own half-shekel donation meaningful.

22 Years Later…
One of the most exciting things (some call them “finds”) in the sifting project are the people who come to sift, and the stories they bring with them.
Here, for example, is the story of Saul and Sabina Primer from Kfar Saba, who visited…

An Important Clarification: We have nothing to do with the new venture My Evven
A new venture called My Evven has been launched online by tourism entrepreneur Uri Steinberg, which markets stones that allegedly originate from debris removed from Waqf excavations on the Temple Mount. The alleged certificate of the origin…

Find and Finder of the Month: Ivory Legs Found by Lev Simcha Levi
It has been quite challenging over the past year to keep posting a Find of the Month article each on a consistent basis, considering the slow pace of the sifting due to the numerous lockdowns and Covid-19 regulations and restrictions.…

Temple Mount Sifting Project Symposium
In celebration of Jerusalem Day, the Temple Mount Sifting Project will conduct an on-line study session (via Zoom), with a series of lectures on the archaeology of Jerusalem and the Temple Mount, presented by the Sifting Project research team.
Registration…

Passover Update
We are all facing troubled times. Here at the Temple Mount Sifting Project we have chosen to continue sifting, even without guests or volunteers. We want to keep the fire burning, a sort of eternal flame. The present situation is forcing all…