Jerusalem, Israel

Situated in the Judean Mountains, approximately 6 km west of Jerusalem, Moza is on the southern slopes of the Mevasseret Zion neighborhood. The site is at a modern junction of roads, as the current route of the Jerusalem-Tel Aviv Highway crosses a bridge built above Tel Moza to the south of it. The Nahal Sorek runs alongside the eastern border of the site.

During the excavations, a large pit containing over 20 remarkably well-preserved architectural elements was uncovered. These elements exhibited the distinctive stone-cutting style commonly associated with the Crusader period (ca. twelfth–thirteenth centuries CE).

Among the elements were pier or pilaster pedestals, which included highly molded bases, shafts carved in fine detail, colonettes, and fine ashlars. The high production quality (along with the fine and elegant details) suggests that these architectural elements were produced for an important public structure, i.e., a church, cathedral, or fortress. Such a discovery creates the opportunity to reexamine and delve deeper into the study of Crusader Motza – also known as Qalonie (Qaluniya).