Like Clay – Yom Kippur Reflections from the Temple Mount Sifting Project

The soil of the Temple Mount has yielded thousands of finds that reflect the very crafts described in the Like Clay poem. Every item uncovered in the sifting also tells of the ancient workmanship that brought it into being - many of them the very arts portrayed in the poem.

Find and Finder of the Month: Adam Cohen found a Hellenistic Lead Sling Bullet

Everyone knows that David fell Goliath with a pinpointed pebble stone from a sling. But did you know that sling bullets were still commonly in use a thousand years later? During the summer season, Adam Cohen from Jerusalem uncovered what may…

Find and Finder of the Month: Reed Impressions in Ceramic Ornamentation 

Leah Navarre from France made an exciting discovery while volunteering with the Temple Mount Sifting Project—a ceramic fragment bearing ancient reed impressions.  Reed-based ornamentation is a frequent decorative…

Has the Name of King Josiah’s Trusted Official Been Found on an Ancient Sealing?

A rare seal impression on clay bearing the Hebrew name "Yed[a‛]yah (son of) Asayahu," has recently been uncovered in the sifting. This exciting discovery raises the intriguing possibility of a direct link to a well-known biblical story:…

KAN 11 Short Documentary about the TMSP

A few weeks ago, I was contacted by the creators of 'Docutym', a documentary series produced by Israel’s Public Broadcasting Corporation. They told me that filmmaker Itay Asher was interested in creating a short feature about the Temple Mount…

Watch/Listen to the TMSP story on Let the Stones Speak

We were honored to be featured on the biblical archaeology series Let the Stones Speak, co-hosted by Christ Eames of the Armstrong Institute. In the first installment—part of a longer conversation—you’ll hear the Temple Mount Sifting…
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Continuation of the Sifting at Mitzpeh HaMasu‘ot (The Masu’ot Lookout) and Some Updates

About two months ago, we announced financial difficulties that threatened the continued operation of the sifting site at Mitzpe HaMasuot. Fortunately, thanks to additional donations and significant processes initiated since then - including…
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The Sifting Site Faces Closure After Hanukkah

Over the past year, as the State of Israel has been engaged in a war that many have described as existential, each day has brought new casualties among our soldiers, and hundreds of our brothers and sisters remain in captivity in Hamas' dungeons.…
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Milestone Achievement in Our Research: Quantitative Analysis of First Temple Period Pottery

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_9r0pl9iZgU Last Thursday, we reached a significant milestone in our research and publication process. At the annual New Studies in the Archaeology of Jerusalem and its Region conference, organized by the…

A Rare Temple Mount Coin Featuring the Portrait of the Emperor Who Repealed the Harsh Decrees Against Jews After Tisha B’Av 135 CE

On the Ninth of Av it was decreed upon our ancestors that they would not enter the Land [of Israel]; and the Temple was destroyed the first time, and the second time; and Beitar was captured; and the city [of Jerusalem] was plowed. (Ta'anit…
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The Nails that Attest the Presence of Roman Legionary on the Temple Mount

In these days of "Between the Straits," (the days between the 17th of Tamuz and the Ninth of Av), we remember the battles that led to the destruction of the First and Second Temples and ended the last independent Jewish state in the Land of…

Find and Finders of the Month — the Gross Family Found a Pierced Stone Vessel Fragment

During the last summer, we were overwhelmed by the number of visitors and archaeological work. We had hoped to catch up on missed posts during the winter, but then a war broke out… So, meet (slightly belatedly) the Gross family…