Excavations indicated that the wall was deliberately and systematically removed, leading to additional questions as to who was responsible. Tucked under one of the most historic complexes in all of Jerusalem, archaeologists discovered the largest section yet of the city’s “First Wall,” dating to the time of the Hasmoneans (or Maccabees). Originally built in the late second century B.C.E., the wall once stood more than 30 feet tall. One hypothesis presents the idea that the Hasmoneans themselves eliminated the wall as part of an agreement with Antiochus VII Sidetes. “This segment of Jerusalem’s ancient city wall uncovered by the Israel Antiquities Authority is tangible and moving evidence of Jerusalem’s might and stature during the Hasmonean period,” Amichai Eliyahu, Israeli minister of heritage, said in a statement.