A religious shrine sealed up by the ancestors of Jesus — and preserved for nearly 3,000 years — has been discovered in the ancient heart of Jerusalem.
The place of worship, carved into the rock near Temple Mount, is made up of eight rooms with an altar, a sacred standing stone, and presses for olive oil and wine.
Experts believe that the destruction of the shrine might even be featured in the Bible in a description of how Hezekiah, an ancestor of Jesus, smashed idolatrous places of worship.
According to Eli Shukron — excavation director for the Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA), who published his findings in its in-house scientific journal, ‘Atiqot — the location is dated to Hezekiah’s reign.