A treasure trove of ancient gold and silver artifacts dating back some 3,600 years was recently discovered in Tel Gezer, an archaeological site on the Judean foothills, the Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA) and the Israel Nature and Parks Authority announced Monday.

A 1000-year-old inscription, discovered near Hebron and dated to the beginning of the Islamic era, indicates that the Muslims perceived the Dome of the Rock as a reestablishment of the earlier Jewish Temple, referring to it as 'Bayt al-maqdis,' which derives from the biblical Hebrew terminology ‘Beit Hamikdash.'

In an effort to uncover the original rock surface where Jesus' body was laid, the main Christian communities that govern the church have allowed a work crew only 60 hours to excavate the Edicule, the inner sanctum that covers what is believed to be the original cave where Jesus is said to have been entombed and resurrected.