Excavating in the City of David—one of the most ancient parts of Jerusalem—a group of archaeologists discovered the capital of a stone column decorated with symbols associated with royal buildings from the First Temple period. Tzvi Joffre describes what happened next:

While lifting the capital out of the ground, [the excavators] were stunned to find not only that the stone was decorated on both sides, but that there was yet another identical capital directly underneath it. A third identical stone was found nearby. The stones seem to have been hidden intentionally due to their seemingly careful placement. It may have been the only thing that saved them from being destroyed. . . . Why the stones were so carefully hidden may never be known, he added.

The capitals are linked to the Davidic dynasty because such designs from the period . . . have only been found within the areas [the dynasty] ruled. . . . Besides the capitals, additional artifacts found at the site indicate a royal or noble building as well, including a toilet—an [feature] only found in the homes of the wealthy in that period.

Using evidence from artifacts found at the site and the level at which they were found, archaeologists dated the capitals to the 7th century BCE, between the rule of King Hezekiah and the Babylonian conquest and destruction of Jerusalem.

“This . . . is really a once-in-a-lifetime discovery,” the City of David Foundation vice-president Doron Spielman said.

On Tuesday, a Hizballah drone attack injured three people in northern Israel. The next day, another attack, targeting an IDF base, injured eighteen people, six of them seriously, in Arab al-Amshe, also in the north. This second attack involved the simultaneous use of drones carrying explosives and guided antitank missiles. In both cases, the defensive systems that performed so successfully last weekend failed to stop the drones and missiles. Ron Ben-Yishai has a straightforward explanation as to why: the Lebanon-backed terrorist group is getting better at evading Israel defenses. He explains the three basis systems used to pilot these unmanned aircraft, and their practical effects:

These systems allow drones to act similarly to fighter jets, using “dead zones”—areas not visible to radar or other optical detection—to approach targets. They fly low initially, then ascend just before crashing and detonating on the target. The terrain of southern Lebanon is particularly conducive to such attacks.

But this requires skills that the terror group has honed over months of fighting against Israel. The latest attacks involved a large drone capable of carrying over 50 kg (110 lbs.) of explosives. The terrorists have likely analyzed Israel’s alert and interception systems, recognizing that shooting down their drones requires early detection to allow sufficient time for launching interceptors.

The IDF tries to detect any incoming drones on its radar, as it had done prior to the war. Despite Hizballah’s learning curve, the IDF’s technological edge offers an advantage. However, the military must recognize that any measure it takes is quickly observed and analyzed, and even the most effective defenses can be incomplete. The terrain near the Lebanon-Israel border continues to pose a challenge, necessitating technological solutions and significant financial investment.