Excavations in Jerusalem have finally revealed the route of an ancient fortification, according to a report published Sunday.

For more than 150 years, researchers have asked: who divided Jerusalem in two? A report published Sunday by the Jewish Press may finally have another piece of the puzzle, bringing researchers a step closer to answering this question.

Excavations in the Givati parking lot at the City of David revealed a massive fortification created by quarrying rock between the National Park and the area above, which contains the Temple Mount and the Ofel. Researchers found unearthed perpendicular cliffs on both sides of a moat, clearly cutting off the lower half of the city.

A newly discovered, over 3,500-year-old, massive trench separating the City of David and the upper sections of Temple Mount and the Ophel in Jerusalem answered a 150-year-old debate concerning the biblical city Jerusalem.

✍️@EyalGreenhttps://t.co/bkTfMtzEgU

— The Jerusalem Post (@Jerusalem_Post) July 21, 2024

“It is not known when the moat was first dug, but it is clear that it was used during the centuries when Jerusalem was the capital of the Kingdom of Judah – almost 3,000 years ago, starting from the days of King Josiah,” said Tel Aviv University prof. Yuval Gadot and Israel Antiquities Authority’s Dr. Yiftach Shalu.

“During those years, it divided between the extension of the city that spread to the south and was served as the residence of the people of Jerusalem and the Acropolis – the upper city, which was where the palace and the temple were located and stood on the Temple Mount, to the north.”

I love it when secular sources discover supporting evidence to authenticate the Bible’s claims. https://t.co/72NJ0JDGgD via @dailycaller

— Chuck Hill (@chuckhill) February 1, 2023

Gadot, Shalu and their team’s work depended on past excavations by British archaeologists to ascertain the exact route the northern fortifications took through the city. (RELATED: Tiny Discovery Has Huge Implications For History Of The Holy Land, Study Says)

“The connection of the two exposed sections creates a deep and wide trench that stretches across About 70 meters at least, from west to east,” Gadot noted, adding, “his is a dramatic discovery that opens up a renewed discussion of terms from biblical literature that relate to the topography of Jerusalem, such as the Ofel and the Millo.”

It’s believed Jerusalem was split throughout the Iron Age, as well as during the Persian and Hellenistic periods. Future research is centered on figuring out who built the 70-meter-long trench, which was so large, historical researchers thought it was a natural valley.