Ancient City Discovered On Land Where New Chabad Community Is Set To Be Established In Eretz Yisroel

Before you can build anything new in Israel, the Antiquities Authority needs to come.

It’s a love and fear moment.

If they find something of value, they could hold your development back by many months or years, or even stop it altogether. But how amazing is it to find remnants left behind by your ancestors?!

We knew there would be some findings around Ohr Chabad. Right next to our first neighborhood is the ancient “Yatir Ruins,” full of caves, water systems, wells, an olive press, mosaic tiling, and pillars of an ancient synagogue. It’s estimated that some of these structures were built during the Second Temple era.

But we weren’t ready for what was actually uncovered.

See, the city of Yatir is mentioned in the Torah multiple times — it is in the region belonging to Caleb Ben Yefunah, but was designated to the Leviites. It is also right in between Hebron and Be’er Sheva. Remember that bit.

When the Antiquities Authority got started, we were relieved that the findings in our first planned neighborhood were minimal. But as they moved into the next area, things got interesting.

We had to secure a ₪5 million budget for the Antiquities Authority to get a team of 30 diggers and three lead archeologists full time, to uncover some long lost treasures. Thankfully, the Housing Ministry stepped up for us, and got it covered.

Next thing you know, an archeologist named Avshalom was showing us around as diggers uncovered a 3,000 year old city, where the tribe of Levi settled during the First Temple Era.

Walls of stone — not carved — whole stones placed together with mud to build ancient houses. Bakeries in caves with chimneys. Underground food storage. Water systems that carried rain through tunnels and into deep wells.

A mikva (ritual bath) that appears to have a water heating system. Actually, we’re still not entirely sure what it is, because something like this hasn’t been found before. More digging will tell us.

What fascinated me the most was when Avshalom pointed out a long dirt path, lined with stones, placed many millennia ago. This, he said, may be part of an ancient road which Abraham would have trekked on his way between Hebron to Be’er Sheva.

So now, in the middle of New Ohr Chabad, we will host the uncovered ancient Yatir, where the Leviites once taught Torah to visitors of all kinds.

We still have so much more to uncover, so much work to do.