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Ancient Jerusalem’s gate. Dating to 1800 B.C.E., a portion of the Jebusite city wall, shaded in tan in the reconstruction drawing, was discovered in the early 1960s by British archaeologist Kathleen Kenyon. The last 30 years, however, have been more cruel to this section of the wall than the previous 3000: Because nothing has been done to preserve this ancient structure, it now appears to be only a heap of rubble.

The angle in the wall suggests that it formed the lower part of a tower, probably a gate tower. If so, a parallel tower very likely stood on the other side of the gateway. This site was once an entrance to the pre-Davidic city of Jerusalem, one of the last strongholds of Canaanite power. It should be reconstituted for Jerusalem’s 3,000th anniversary.