Broad Wall, Ancient defensive wall in the Jewish Quarter, Jerusalem, Israel

The Broad Wall is an ancient fortification in Jerusalem's Old City that remained hidden until modern archaeological excavations revealed it. The structure comprises large stone blocks and extends across multiple sections at varying heights.

The wall was uncovered in 1970 by Nahman Avigad's excavation in the Jewish Quarter, which exposed 40 to 65 metres of it at a thickness of 7 metres. Pottery found in the dig dated it to the 8th century BC. Long attributed to King Hezekiah's preparations against Sennacherib's 701 BC campaign, it was reassigned in 2024 by carbon dating to King Uzziah, who reigned 791–750 BC and rebuilt the city after an earthquake.

The street where the wall lies is named Rehov Boney HaChoma, "Builders of the Wall Street", after the workers who raised it. The wall's identification with the "Broad Wall" of Nehemiah 3:8 rests on its exceptional 7-metre thickness. Visitors can see the wall's line bend to skirt a small channel and cross the saddle between two peaks of the western hill.

The site sits in Jerusalem's Old City and is accessible to visitors, with information panels on-site explaining the structure. The area is relatively small and straightforward to explore, though the surroundings are crowded and full of historical layers.

Building the wall forced residents to demolish their homes to make way for the defensive structure. This sacrifice is mentioned in ancient texts and reveals how seriously people took the protection of their city.