The Hellenistic Period
This period commenced with the conquest of the Land of Israel by Alexander the Great. Upon his death, the empire he established broke into three. Jerusalem remained part of the Seleucid kingdom. In the year 167 BCE, following a revolt against the Seleucids, the Hasmonean kingdom was established in Jerusalem, which survived until the area was conquered by the Roman Empire in 37 CE.
Central evidence of the Hellenistic period is a massive longitudinal wall located in the area of the Givati Parking Lot excavations alongside a glacis. The site’s researchers claim that these are remnants of the Hellenistic Acra, known from historic texts. The Acra was a central citadel under Greek rule in the country, and is referenced as a fortress that was conquered by the Hasmoneans. Nevertheless, a debate remains around whether or not this was correctly identified. It appears that aside from the structure, much of the city was rural and sparse.