In the 1540s under the Ottomans rule, the entrance to the cave was walled up so that the enemy would not enter the city through them (according to another version, Jerusalem homeless people, asocial elements and local criminals hung out in these caves).
In 1854, American missionary James Barclay walked his dog under the city walls. The dog's attention was drawn to a small hole under the wall, into which it enthusiastically climbed. Intrigued, the missionary returned at night with his sons and excavation tools. They were quite amazed at what they saw...