The Eastern Gate Under the Eastern Gate!

Research has shown that under the Eastern Gate (Golden Gate) in Jerusalem's Old City walls there is an ancient gate that dates from:

1. Herod's day in the first centruy, or 
2. Nehemaih's day around 500 BC, or 
3. even Solomon's day around 950 BC from the first Temple period

It is located under the Eastern Gate built in the days of the Byzantine Empire that stands today in Jerusalem's eastern wall. The current Golden Gate, also known as the Eastern Gate, is located in the east wall of the Temple Mount. Photographs have been taken of the ancient gate located underneath today's gate in 1969 and 2005. (To view larger photos and in a slide show, just click on any of the pics below.)

Location of today's Golden, or Eastern Gate

Photo taken (2007) while I stood in front of the Eastern Gate on the outside with my back towards the Mount of Olives

James Fleming's photo from 1969 from inside a grave on the outside of the Eastern Gate looking at the arch of an ancient Eastern Gate.

This is the remains of an ancient gate already excavated under today's modern Damascus Gate. The entrance of today's Damascus Gate is seen in the top right corner. I took this photo (2010) to show the remains of the gate built by Herod Agrippa II in 64-67 AD in the north wall of first century Jerusalem. This is excavation confirms that a similar excavation under the Eastern Gate would reveal an ancient gate in use at the same time as this ancient gate.

 My close up (2010) of Herod Agrippa II's first century gate excavated under today's Damascus Gate in Jerusalem's north wall.

Please read more details and history of this ancient gate under today's Eastern Gate and the history of today's Eastern Gate at my website here

More details in this blog concerning Fleming here

Here is a quote from an article in the Mar/Apr 2008 issue of Biblical Archaeology Review from p. 16:

In the fall of 2005, another archaeology student at the same college that Fleming had been attending in 1969 (now Jerusalem University College{we will be here again taking a class with some of our friends in June of 2012}) was examining the area near the Golden Gate. James Anderson of San Antonio, Texas recently reported to us: The world thinks this tomb has been sealed. Well, it hasn't been completely sealed. Although I suspect I was breaking several rules and don't wish to condone such action, I did walk up to the Golden Gate and found a large stone on the ground. I removed the stone to find a hole leading into the tomb. I extended my arm into the hole and took pictures that show the very arch that Jesus would have walked through. So, for the record, we now publish the new picture of stones inside the arch of the gate below the Golden Gate. (see portion of article here)

2005 photo taken by James Anderson of the same gate as seen from the same tomb as Fleming in 1969 (Both were students of Jerusalem University College were we will be taking a class in June of 2012)

Galyn Wiemers
Generation Word
http://www.generationword.com