“Archaeological excavations in the City of David National Park have uncovered the remains of the city wall, which was built during the Iron Age–the days of the First Temple in the Kingdom of Judah—to protect Jerusalem from the east. According to the directors of the excavation, Dr. Filip Vukosavović of the Ancient Jerusalem Research Center and Dr. Joe Uziel and Ortal Chalaf on behalf of the Israel Antiquities Authority: ‘The city wall protected Jerusalem from a number of attacks during the reign of the kings of Judah, until the arrival of the Babylonians who managed to break through it and conquer the city. The remains of the ruins can be seen in the archaeological excavations. However, not everything was destroyed, and parts of the walls, which stood and protected the city for decades and more, remain standing to this day’. The new section that was exposed connects two sections that were previously excavated on the eastern slope. Over the years, claims have been made that despite the impressive nature of the remains, these remnant stone structures should not be seen as wall remains. However, with the uncovering of this new section that connects with these past discoveries, it seems that the debate has been settled, and that this was unequivocally the eastern wall of ancient Jerusalem. In 2 Kings 25:10, there is a description of the conquest of the city by the Babylonians: ‘The whole Babylonian army under the commander of the imperial guard broke down the walls around Jerusalem.’ However it looks like the Babylonians did not destroy the eastern wall. Near the wall, a Babylonian stamp seal made of stone was unveiled, depicting a figure standing in front of symbols of the two Babylonian gods Marduk and Nabu.”
“First Temple,” Israel National News, July 14, 2021