An Iron Age II Dwelling Cave on the Mount of Olives, Jerusalem (Hebrew, pp. 41–59; English summary, pp. 86*–87*)

Salvage excavations in the ash-Sheikh neighborhood, on the southern ridge of the Mount of Olives, uncovered the remains of a dwelling cave, a burial cave and an area of hewn rock. The dwelling cave’s opening was enclosed by stone-built walls and its beaten-earth floor contained pottery sherds. Two phases were uncovered in the cave, both from Iron Age II (eighth–seventh centuries BCE). Dwelling caves are a well-known phenomenon in the hill country and desert regions, serving populations living in remote areas. This cave was probably part of the late Iron Age II settlement network extending along the road from Jericho to Jerusalem that postdate Sennacherib’s campaign to Judah.