JERUSALEM (JTA) — A 400-pound stone that fell from the Western Wall to the egalitarian prayer plaza was removed Wednesday for examination by archaeologists.
The Israel Antiquities Authority used a crane to remove the stone, and it was transferred to the Western Wall Heritage Foundation, which will return the stone to its spot if deemed appropriate.
Archaeologists will try to determine what caused the stone to fall and prevent a recurrence of the incident.
The stone was dislodged and crashed to the egalitarian prayer plaza below on Monday morning hours after the fast of Tisha b’Av. One woman was praying on the raised platform and was not injured. Hours earlier, the area was full of worshippers.
The smaller of the section’s platforms was closed until further notice. Experts from the Israel Antiquities Authority were called to the scene to examine the area.
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