An ancient structure uncovered on the eastern slope of the City of David inside Jerusalem Walls National Park is believed to have been used for ritual practices during the time of the First Temple, according to a new study.

The structure contained eight rooms containing things like an altar, a standing stone, an oil press and a wine press.

Excavation director Eli Shukron said in an article published in the scientific journal Antiqot that the uncovered structure may have been used by residents of Judah for cultic or religious practices.

The study suggests the structure, which is in overall exceptional shape, dates to the First Temple period and was revealed during excavations performed by the Israel Antiquities Authority in the City of David.

Illustration of the carved rooms discovered in the City of David. (Illustration: Shalom Kveller, City of David)

“Nearly 3,000 years later, Jerusalem’s Biblical heritage continues to be unearthed in the City of David, and with the passage of time, its relevance and meaning only continues to increase, with significance to billions, not just millions, around the world,” Ze’ev Orenstein, the director of internal affairs at the City of David, told Fox News Digital. “Unlike most sites of antiquity, Jerusalem’s Biblical heritage remains both timeless and timely – not limited to museums & history books – but a necessary component in understanding the world today – past, present and future.”

The northern part of the structure was uncovered in 1909 by British explorer Montague Parker, who searched in Jerusalem for the Ark of the Covenant and the Temple treasures.

It was not until 2010 that Shukron began to excavate the property, which lasted over several excavation seasons.

“This discovery in the City of David once again affirms the Jewish people’s ongoing 3,000+ year-old bond with Jerusalem – not simply as a matter of faith, but as a matter of fact – from Bible times to the modern day,” Orenstein said.