JERUSALEM: Israeli Border Police found a Second Temple burial cave beneath a building in Silwan, East Jerusalem, during searches linked to a deadly dispute between local families, police said.
Israel Police announced the discovery on August 24 at about 5:07 p.m. local time, or 7:07 p.m. PKT. Officers also found additional archaeological material at the site.
The Israel Antiquities Authority sent specialists to examine the cave. Their initial assessment dated the graves to the Second Temple period, roughly 516 BCE to 70 CE.
Police said officers discovered the site while searching a compound connected to people involved in a violent family conflict.
Authorities secured the area so archaeologists could continue examining the remains and other finds. The police operation followed a clash in Silwan that left three people dead, according to The Jerusalem Post.
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The newspaper reported that one person died during the original violence, while police shot two others after officers said they posed active threats.
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Rock-cut burial caves served as family tombs in Jerusalem during the Second Temple era. However, authorities have not yet announced a more precise date for the newly discovered graves or released a full archaeological assessment.
