Israeli police recently discovered an ancient burial cave in East Jerusalem while conducting an operation related to a violent family dispute. The Israel Police announced the finding on August 24.
The operation was launched in the Silwan village following a deadly clash between feuding families that involved gunfire and Molotov cocktail attacks, according to The Jerusalem Post.
Officers searching a compound where individuals involved in the incident resided came upon the cave beneath a building. Representatives from the Israel Antiquities Authority were called to the scene. An initial examination indicated that the graves date back to the Second Temple period, which spanned from approximately 516 BC to 70 AD.
Rock-cut burial caves were common family tombs in Jerusalem during the Second Temple period. The specific date of the newly discovered graves has not yet been provided.
Pictures released by Israeli police show the interior of the rock-cut cave, with debris visible on the floor. Security forces are securing the site to facilitate further examination of the archaeological finds.
Jerusalem, a city with thousands of years of history, continues to yield remnants of its past. This discovery follows other recent archaeological findings in the city, including charred wooden beams dating back approximately 2,600 years and a well-preserved section of a Hasmonean-era wall.