Jerusalem archaeologists uncover 2,000-year-old aqueduct section

Archaeologists from the Israel Antiquities Authority have uncovered a 300-meter section of the ancient Lower Aqueduct of Jerusalem. The discovery was made during excavations south of the Ramat Rachel kibbutz in an area designated for a new residential neighborhood.

Likely constructed during the Hasmonean period, the aqueduct was part of a sophisticated 21-kilometer water system that transported spring water from the Gush Etzion region to the Temple Mount. The system relied entirely on gravity, utilizing a precise, gentle slope of approximately one meter per kilometer to move water without mechanical pumps. Excavation directors Benyamin Storchan and Gil Freid noted that the engineering was so robust that the system remained in intermittent use until roughly 100 years ago.

The newly revealed section exhibits various historical layers. While originally a plastered channel, the structure saw modifications during the Ottoman period approximately 500 years ago, including the addition of ceramic pipes and decorative stone-embedded plaster. The site will be preserved and integrated into the new neighborhood, allowing for public viewing.