Jordanian ammunition stash from Six-Day War found under Western Wall site

Jordanian soldiers hid the arms and ammo in a British water cistern, perhaps when the Israeli army liberated the Old City of Jerusalem, excavation directors believe.

A fulll magazine for a Bren machine gun, part of a Jordanian ammunition stash from the Six-Day War found in a British water cistern under the Western Wall Tunnels. (Yoli Schwartz/Israel Antiquities Authority)

By Marcy Oster June 25, 2020 2:39 pm

JERUSALEM (JTA) — A Jordanian ammunition stash from the 1967 Six-Day War was discovered under the site of the Western Wall tunnels.

The ammunition, including rifle magazines, full clip chargers and two bayonets, were found Wednesday during excavations of a British Mandate-period water cistern, the Israel Antiquities Authority said in a statement.

Israel Police bomb-disposal experts came to the site to examine the findings.

The excavation directors believe that Jordanian soldiers hid the arms and ammunition, perhaps when the Israeli army liberated the Old City of Jerusalem.

“Usually, in excavations, we find ancient findings from one or two thousand years ago, but this time, we got a glimpse of the events that occurred 53 years ago, frozen in time in this water cistern,” they said in a statement.

The excavations are being conducted in cooperation with the Western Wall Heritage Foundation in order to open up additional tour sites in the tunnels.

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