Sinkhole Opens in City of David

A sinkhole nine feet deep opened up suddenly in the City of David site in recent days in Har Tzion, Yerushalayim.

The sinkhole, whose depth was only 3 feet as of early Sunday, tripled in depth in the course of the last two days, and experts say they it could to continue to deepen in the coming days.

The hole is located exactly on the spot where mekublai Yerushalayim have traditionally been mispallel. It is in a section of the mount where there are thought to be underground tunnels and chambers that have yet to be explored.

Police have not permitted archaeologists to enter the immediate vicinity due to the danger of falling in, and have cordoned off the hole.

However, a senior archaeological team was allowed in to the area to photograph it. They say that once the police have finished their work, they will wait for word from the Israeli authorities, indicating that there were political considerations, including pressure from foreign sources, principally Christian.

Five young people who sneaked into the site at night were arrested by police and accused of unauthorized digging. However, they had no digging tools in their possession and were soon released.