Magnificent Roman-era

building unearthed under

Israel's Western Wall
By Owen Jarus - Live Science Contributor about 20 hours
ago

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The remains of part of the West Bank building are seen here. It
was likely used as a reception area for local council members
before they ascended to the Temple Mount. (Image credit: Photo
courtesy Israel Antiquities Authority)

Inside the tunnels beneath the Western Wall

in Israel, archaeologists have uncovered the
final parts of an elaborate building that may
have been used as a reception area for members
of Jerusalem's local council and their guests on
their journey to Temple Mount. 
The building consists of two hallways that were
connected by a fountain fed by lead pipes
located at the top of Corinthian-style columns,
Shlomit Weksler-Bdolach, an archaeologist with
the Israel Antiquities Authority, said in a
video announcing the discovery. Though there
is almost no trace left of them today, ornate
sofas for reclining likely furnished the halls,
archaeologists said. 
Archaeologist Charles Warren discovered parts
of the building in the 19th century, and several
other archaeologists in the 20th century also
uncovered parts of it. Over the past few years,
archaeologists with the Israel Antiquities
Authority and the Western Wall Heritage
Foundation have excavated the remainder of the
structure, allowing researchers to get a better
understanding of what it was used for, Weksler-
Bdolach said.