5 Strange Discoveries Hidden Under the City of Jerusalem

Jerusalem is one of the most storied and sacred cities in the world. It is home to the historic citadel known as the Tower of David, the Western Wall, and the Via Dolorosa. For millennia, Jerusalem has drawn the curious and the devoted to explore its core. The Old City and its surrounding hills have seen the rise and fall of kingdoms and great temples, empires, and modern states. Still, those who visit to take it all in only see the ancient walls and religious sites, a fraction of what lies beneath.

Jerusalem has been studied for centuries, and archaeologists are still uncovering new structures, chambers, and artifacts. Some of these finds have been truly jaw-dropping, revealing human activity from historical periods thought to be thoroughly documented. The following strange and unexpected discoveries, in particular, continue to shed new light (but also mystery) on this ancient city.

A 2,000-Year-Old Street to the Temple Dug Up Under the City

Pontius Pilate was both a biblical and historical figure who is impossible to ignore. When he washed his hands, it led to the execution of Jesus around A.D.30. Four decades later, the Jews called him a callous ruler who instigated the rebellion that eventually destroyed Jerusalem. What some may not know is that Pilate once spent considerable time and money beautifying the city. In 2019, archaeologists worked to uncover a massive stepped street leading to the foot of the Temple Mount.

The street covers an area larger than a third of a mile and is twenty-six feet wide. The team believes the street was built during a single project and also realized that King Herod the Great was not responsible for all of the construction efforts in ancient Jerusalem. They scrutinized around 100 coins buried beneath the street, and their findings point to a Pilate effort. It took six years to uncover the 2,000-year-old ‘Pilgrim’s Road’, and it is now open to the public. This means visitors can walk in the same place where Jesus once traveled between the Pool of Siloam and the Temple.

A Secret Roman Mini‑Theater Buried Beneath the Western Wall

The Western Wall is considered one of the holiest sites in the city. In the past, visitors who wanted to view the wall had to go down 142 steps or walk around the city walls. In 2017, two elevators were installed for accessibility, and archaeologists began excavating the area using them in 2019. They dug through undisturbed land and found intact terracotta pipes which continue the line of an aqueduct believed to have been built during the later Herodian period. The pipes brought water to Jerusalem from the hills around Bethlehem, around six miles away. Other finds included oil lamps, pottery, and artifacts from the Byzantine period.

However, two years before these discoveries, archaeologists uncovered something that had remained hidden for 1,700 years. Beneath Wilson’s Arch in the Western Wall tunnels, they dug up an ancient Roman amphitheatre. The team was looking for artifacts to help date the arch, but instead found the buried theater. The theatre size is small, and the archaeologists believe that it was used as an odeon. It has a roof and was built with an orchestral section included. While Roman theatres of this size would have been used for public gatherings and performances, the team is convinced that this specific theatre was never used. Some of the stonework is unfinished, and certain seating sections and the stage were left partially completed. Experts believe that theatre construction began after 70 CE, when Rome destroyed much of Jerusalem, and that rebel uprisings or a change in priorities may have halted the project.

Three‑Room Rock‑Cut Complex Next to the Western Wall

In 2020, archaeologists announced the discovery of three ancient subterranean chambers beneath the Western Wall plaza. The chambers are at least 2,000 years old and consist of a courtyard and two rooms. These spaces were carved out on top of one another. Hewn staircases connect them, and inside, evidence of everyday life included oil lamps, a stone mub, cooking vessels, and a broken piece of qulal. The entrance of the chambers features a carving and depressions for shelves, door hinges, and bolts. The archeology team believes these chambers were used as a hewn space or pantry, but the actual purpose is not yet clear.

The rock-cut complex is a rare find, since most people lived in stone-built houses. Experts are not sure whether the complex was used as a house or a storage unit. And it will take at least 20 more years of excavations to connect it to the site where the main street once ran. If this happens, archaeologists might learn more about the rooms’ purpose and the Byzantine building whose floor covered it for many centuries. During the process, it is also possible that archaeologists may discover additional subterranean rooms.

Secret Cistern Exposed by Muon Imaging

Some of Jerusalem’s most surprising finds did not occur after years of digging and excavating. Instead, physics helped archaeologists and physicists in 2023 and 2024 to scan beneath the surface of the City of David Archaeological site using muon imaging. The system allows researchers to ‘see’ hidden voids and structural anomalies underground by tracking cosmic-ray muons. These muons are subatomic particles that constantly rain down on Earth. Muon imaging is essentially an X-ray technique that reveals chambers, tunnels, and cisterns below the Earth’s surface without the need for digging.

Archaeologists used muon imaging to scan a large ancient cistern, often associated with a historic site mentioned in the Bible, called Jeremiah’s Cistern. The technique revealed subtle density variations, suggesting the presence of hidden passageways, chambers, and other structural features around the cistern. The cistern is located next to immense First-Temple-period structures, including what is believed to be King David’s palace. The next steps include deploying multiple detectors to create a 3D reconstruction of the architecture below.

A 3,000-Year-Old Defensive System Now Exposed Beneath the City

When archaeologists announced they found a massive moat in the City of David in 2023, they also solved a 150-year-old mystery. The moat was used to fortify and protect the Temple Mount and the king’s palace during biblical times. The northern fortification was a source of frustration for archaeologists for over 150 years, as they were unable to trace the complete route. But, when the Givati Parking Lot, next to the Old City walls, was excavated, it revealed that a moat split the City of David in half. This means the moat separated the palace and Temple Mount from the rest of Jerusalem.

It is not yet known when the moat was constructed, but experts believe it was used during the period when Jerusalem was the capital of the Kingdom of Judah, around 3,000 years ago. The moat is also believed to have demonstrated the power of Jerusalem’s rulers to all who passed the gates. Archaeologists also confirmed that the discovery aligns with Biblical references to the area's topography. For instance, in the first Book of Kings 11:27, it states that Solomon built up the construction and closed the breach in the wall of the City of David, his father's.

A Past Still Waiting to Be Fully Uncovered

Jerusalem hides an ancient city structure beneath the one people walk through today. These amazing and often strange discoveries reveal the extent of activity that once occurred below. These activities sometimes happened during tense or dramatic moments in Jerusalem’s history. With each new find, what experts thought they knew shifts. Some questions remain unanswered, and the answers to others will require several more years of searching, digging, and scanning. Perhaps the most exciting part is that the next major discovery is likely waiting just under the surface.