Strata: How Many?

How many archaeological excavations have been undertaken in Jerusalem?

Answer: 1,263

Since the excavation of the Tomb of the Kings (actually the tomb of Queen Helena of Adiabene) by Louis-Félicien de Saulcy in 1863, the archives of the Israel Antiquities Authority list 1,263 entries for excavations conducted in and around Jerusalem. The actual number, however, is probably much higher if we count “unofficial” and clandestine excavations. Including excavations of this kind, archaeologists Gideon Avni of the Israel Antiquities Authority and Katharina Galor of Brown University estimate the number as close to 1,850.¹