Western Stone


The Western Stone is a monolithic stone ashlar block forming part of the lower level of the Western Wall in Jerusalem. This largest stone in the Western Wall is visible within the Western Wall Tunnel. It is one of the largest building blocks in the world.
The stone's exposed face can be freely measured and is long and high, but its width, or depth, is hidden within the wall. In June 2006, Harry M. Jol, from the University of Wisconsin–Eau Claire, performed GPR measurements to determine the depth of the stone. The conclusion of his team was that its depth ranges from approximately. The resulting calculated weight of the stone block is of 250–300 tonnes.
Previous estimates of the stone's depth were of, a multiple of the GPR measurement, and led to a calculated total weight of 567 tonnes. The Western Wall Heritage Foundation website still indicates, as of March 2020, an "estimated" depth of between, with an estimated weight of "several hundred tons", thus moderating its former claim of an estimated weight of 517 tonnes ; elsewhere similar figures used to be circulated, namely 550 to 600 t.

Location

The stone is located in a section of the Western Wall north of Wilson's Arch, below ground level, and can be accessed through the Western Wall tunnels. It is part of the "Great Course", a name used by the WWHF for the tallest and longest course of the Western Wall. Its stone blocks are of Herodian age, and the stones next to the Western Stone are, in sequence,,, and long, respectively.