In wake of the claims according to which Israel is excavating under the dome of the rock and harming Muslim structures, IsraelNN speaks with archeologist Dr. Gabriel Barkay. Dr. Barkay clarifies that the truth is the opposite – it's the Arabs who have acted against the status quo and have excavated "brutally" land which contains many ancient artifacts from Jewish history.

In the following video Dr. Barkay speaks with Yoni Kempinski about the "Sifting Project" in which countless archeological finds are being discovered in the rubble dug up by the Muslims. Dr. Barkay also relates to his most famous discoveries - small silver plaques containing the priestly benediction from the Book of Numbers, which he discovered in 1979 at Ketef Hinnom. These plaques contain the oldest surviving biblically-related inscription discovered to date, dating back to 600 BC.