European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - April 26, 1986, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Black broken lines show Earth level before archaeological excavations began in 1968 along Southeast Corner of the retaining Wall of Jerusalem s Temple mount. Rediscovering ancient by George w. Cornell associated press t hat mystical old City Jerusalem immemorial Hub of Faith  longings has past whose remoteness  strangely mingled chronology Only recently have Cometo Light. Origins of it going  to about 5,500 years ago have been found in new archaeological explorations. Those misty beginnings  Marks of accumulated cultures since have been unearthed in excavations led by Yigal Shiloh 48, of the hebrew University of Jerusalem adding illuminating notes to the passover season. The discoveries provide a sense of sources  roots Shiloh said in an interview. It s been an adventure for us. We be Learned a lot More about the past. We rediscovered ancient  that holy City a shrine of sacred events to christianity  islam  the hallowed Hearth of Zion to Judaism holds special attention at passover. Lord god extend thy mercy. Over Jerusalem. The place of thy glory goes a prayer offered at the ceremonial meal the seder at the Start of the eight Day passover Observance. Thousands flock to Jerusalem for the occasion resembling the annual pilgrimages of old. The Holiday commemorates the ancient jewish liberation from egyptian Captivity to their promised  however the founding of the settlement that eventually became their capital the City of David occurred Long before their exodus to Freedom about .1300 ., going  to 3500 ., the recent excavations find. We be discovered More than 20 cities built one on top of another Down to this present Day Shiloh Eaid. As head of the Institute of archaeology at hebrew University  director of the City of David archaeology project he has for eight years spent excavating seasons with Crews probing the City s past a project completed last year. With full findings still to be published  Only a preliminary report issued so far Shiloh said nothing of the same scale had previously been uncovered about Jerusalem s antecedents. Herschel Shanks editor of the biblical archaeology review published in Washington d.c., says even the preliminary report offers an exciting even Awe inspiring  the excavations entered on a Ridge or Spur extending South from the present old City outside its present Walls. Nobody had known the settlement went  so far Shanks writes. Time  time again Shiloh found things no one knew before despite the fact that Jerusalem is the most excavated site in the ancient near  Shiloh said the project had turned up Many signs for each period of the City ranging from vases  rooms to weapons  fortifications. Among the finds was a huge underground water system with extensive tunnelled channels he said going  to the earliest period  expanded later. Mainly he said the purpose was to look at biblical times from which numerous artefacts were found including inscriptions with biblical names  Toile like seats with cesspit below. However he said the work unveiled a sweeping Panorama of Jerusalem s longer past going  2,500 years before it was conquered by King David about Ioco .,  became Israel s capital. While Only pottery fragments were found for the earliest period the project uncovered remains of a subsequent massive substructure of a canaanite Jeb site City fortified  walled about 1800  Although its leaders scoffed that its Blind  lame were sufficient to repulse David s forces As recounted in 2nd Samuel 5, David took the stronghold of Zion called the City of  As shown by the archaeological finds Shiloh said David raised his own massive Citadel supported by a stepped Stone Structure atop the earlier substructure. Shiloh s preliminary report describes remains of rooms  two Story buildings in periods of later Judean Kings with Burnt carbonized Wood  baked Clay seals showing the babylonian destruction of Jerusalem in 586  Evidence of the destruction was Clear he says including a conflagration which consumed the various  of the  in one room scores of Iron  Bronze arrowheads reflected the warlike atmosphere. But after Persia overwhelmed the babylonians  the exiled jews returned to the City it was rebuilt again More than twice As Large As before to be destroyed again by the romans in , 70, taken later by moslem crusaders  others. Earmarks of that Long line of cities Shiloh said were turned up in the eight years of exploration with visitors now Able to stroll the Olden site. It is being developed As the City of David archaeological Garden with restoration still going on there. Shiloh estimated the Cost of the years of excavation  restoration at $1.5 million. We had not been sure things had been preserved there to such an extent Shiloh said. We were somewhat surprised at the Richness of the  saturday april 26, 1986 the stars  stripes Page 13