Temple Mount Sifting Project
Wet-sifting of debris dumped from the Temple Mount, yielding Second Temple floor tiles, coins, and seals
Found 2004 — Gabriel Barkay and Zachi Dvira (Bar-Ilan University), with tens of thousands of volunteers
Where Emek Tzurim National Park (Mount Scopus slope), Jerusalem; soil from the Temple Mount (Israel)
Dates from 10th century BCE–modern; many 1st century BCE–70 CE · Mixed; Herodian finds prominent · First and Second Temple periods
Now at Temple Mount Sifting Project laboratory and Israel Antiquities Authority
How Temple Mount Sifting Project was found
In 1999 the Islamic Waqf dug a large pit on the Temple Mount for a mosque entrance and trucked about 400 lorry-loads of earth to the Kidron Valley. Barkay and Dvira began sifting the dumped soil in 2004 at Emek Tzurim; work moved to Mitzpe HaMasu'ot in 2019.
What it is
Over half a million finds without stratigraphic context, including Herodian-period opus sectile floor tiles reconstructed into the geometric floors of the Temple courts (published 2016), Hasmonean and Roman coins, arrowheads from 70 CE, a 'Bar Kathros'-type weight, and a First Temple seal reading 'Immer'.
Why it matters for the Bible
It is the only archaeological material ever recovered from inside the Temple Mount. The reconstructed opus sectile tiles match Josephus' description of the courts paved with colored stone, giving a glimpse of the floor Yeshua walked on. Because the soil was dumped, finds cannot be dated by layer, only by type.
The Hebrew word: rits-PAH
רִצְפָּה
רִצְפָּה is pronounced rits-PAH and means pavement, floor (Strong's H7531).
Places
- Temple Mount — הַר הַבַּיִת (Har ha-BAH-yit) — mountain of the House
Events
Herod's Temple in use · Destruction of 70 CE
Temple Mount Sifting Project in Scripture
1 Kings 6:3 First mention of Temple in Scripture.
2 Chronicles 3:6 Precious stones used to beautify the First Temple; Herod likewise paved the courts with colored stone.
Mark 11:15-16 Yeshua in the Temple courts — the tiles and coins come from these courts.
Questions people ask
What is Temple Mount Sifting Project?
Over half a million finds without stratigraphic context, including Herodian-period opus sectile floor tiles reconstructed into the geometric floors of the Temple courts (published 2016), Hasmonean and Roman coins, arrowheads from 70 CE, a 'Bar Kathros'-type weight, and a First Temple seal reading 'Immer'.
When was Temple Mount Sifting Project discovered?
It was found in 2004 by Gabriel Barkay and Zachi Dvira (Bar-Ilan University), with tens of thousands of volunteers, at Emek Tzurim National Park (Mount Scopus slope), Jerusalem; soil from the Temple Mount.
Where is Temple Mount Sifting Project today?
Temple Mount Sifting Project laboratory and Israel Antiquities Authority.
Which Bible verses does Temple Mount Sifting Project relate to?
1 Kings 6:3, 2 Chronicles 3:6, Mark 11:15-16.
Related discoveries
- אֲרוֹן הַבְּרִיתWarren's Gate and the 1981 Temple Mount Tunnel IncidentUnderground searches for the ark beneath the Temple Mount — what really happened
- אֲשֶׁר עַל־הַבַּיִתAdoniyahu 'Over the House' BullaSeal of a royal steward found in Temple Mount sifting debris
Sources
- Snyder & Barkay, 'The Second Temple period opus sectile floor tiles from the Temple Mount', TMSP (2016)
- Wikipedia: Temple Mount Sifting Project