Shrine from the Bible sealed up by Jesus’ ancestor is OPENED for the first time in 3,000 years

A place of worship sealed by Jesus’ ancestors and frozen in time for nearly 3,000 years has been discovered in the ancient heart of Jerusalem.

The structure is carved into the rock near the Temple Mount and consists of eight rooms, containing an altar, a sacred standing stone and presses for olive oil and wine.

And experts believe its destruction may appear in the Bible, which describes how Hezekiah – one of Jesus’ ancestors – destroyed idolatrous places of worship.

This was one such site, according to Eli Shukron, excavation director of the Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA), who dated it to Hezekiah’s reign.

He said: ‘The structure ceased to function in the 8th century BC, possibly as part of King Hezekiah’s religious reform.

‘According to the Bible, Hezekiah attempted to centralize worship at the temple in Jerusalem, abolishing the ritual sites scattered throughout the kingdom.

‘The Bible describes how additional ritual sites outside the temple operated during the First Temple period.

“It says that two kings of Judah – Hezekiah and Josiah – made reforms to eliminate these places and concentrate worship in the temple.”

Both kings are identified by the Gospel of Matthew as grandfathers of Jesus.

Hezekiah’s crackdown on pagan places of worship – or “high places” – is described in the second book of Kings.

It is told how he “removed the high places, broke in pieces the holy stones,” and “did that which was good in the sight of the Lord.”

Remarkably, the sacred standing stone at the site survived his attack.

Shukron called it “the most dramatic and important find at the excavation.”

“This makes this place a cult place,” he said.

‘When we uncovered it, we found it standing in place, with stones surrounding it.

“The standing stone was covered with earth; it was preserved – no one destroyed it.

“When we found it, it was exactly as it was here 2,800 years ago.”

In another room lay the remains of an altar, recognizable by a drain still running from the corner.

And in one part of the site, mysterious V-shaped carvings marked the floor.

Their true purpose is lost to history, but they may once have supported some sort of tripod with ritual use.

Archaeologists also found a wealth of artifacts from the 8th century BC, sealed behind a stone wall in a cave.

These include cooking pots, jars containing fragments of ancient Hebrew inscriptions, loom weights, scarabs, stamped seals with decorative motifs, and millstones used for grinding grains.

The site is in the ancient heart of Jerusalem – also called the City of David – just a few hundred meters from the Temple Mount, and once existed next to the First Temple there.

Excavations began in 2010, but the northern part of the ruins was discovered in 1909 by Montague Parker, a British adventurer searching for the Ark of the Covenant and other temple treasures.

Amichai Eliyahu, Israel’s Heritage Minister, said: “This unique structure uncovered in the City of David is an exciting testimony to Jerusalem’s rich past.

“Such discoveries make tangible our connection and historical roots – which go back thousands of years – in Jerusalem and other places where Jewish culture and belief system emerged.”

Shukron published his findings in ‘Atiqot, the IAA’s internal journal.