Boulder-Like Stone Falls From Israel's Western Wall, Nearly Striking Woman

An ancient stone from Jerusalem's Western Wall dislodged and crashed into an adjacent prayer area, nearly hitting a woman. 

In footage of the moment, a boulder-sized block is seen falling and landing on a raised wooden platform used for egalitarian prayer, just meters from where a woman was kneeling.

Israel Hasson, director of the Israel Antiquities Authority, said "dampness" may be responsible for the dislodging of the stone.

Thankfully no one was hurt in the incident.

The wall is a holy site for Jews, Christians and Muslims alike. It was built more than 2,000 years ago as part of the Second Jewish Temple.

Jews marked the Tisha B'Av fast Sunday, a day of mourning for the destruction of both Solomon's Temple by the Neo-Babylonian Empire and the Second Temple by the Roman Empire.

RELATED STORIES