JERUSALEM — It appears few can escape an injection in this time of COVID-19  — not even this holy city’s sacred Western Wall. The 2,039-year-old Wall has recently been given injections to help preserve its ancient stones from decay.
Using giant medical-style syringes, a team of engineers and experts from the Western Wall Heritage Foundation and Israel Antiquities Authority have been injecting the Western Wall with dissolved stone to help reinforce the aging limestone and ensure the safety of the more than 12 million visitors each year.
“The Wall’s 2,000-year-old stones are subject to natural weathering and we are making sure to strengthen them,” says Yossi Vaknin, head conservator for the Israel Antiquities Authority in the Western Wall area.

Engineers painstakingly inject the fabled Western Wall with a special stone solution to help reinforce and preserve the ancient limestone structure.

“Our routine biannual inspections enable us to track the condition of every single stone,” continues Vaknin. "We have an ‘identity card’ for each of the hundreds of stones in the plaza and monitor dozens of features.
“Our most recent survey revealed that it was necessary to treat the peel, or outer layer, of several stones. Our work on the historic wall is nondestructive. We do not drill into the stone, but delicately inject dissolved stone into the gaps and fissures.
“Limestone-based grout is injected into the fissure as a liquid, and when dry, the crack is repaired. It is the best possible method of ‘healing’ the stones and the ultimate defence against weathering for the most important stones in the world,” says Vaknin.
Current work on the Wall is subject to the religious strictures established by the rabbi of the Western Wall, nearly 18 years ago. Close attention is also being paid to the many bird’s nests and plants located in the Wall during the preservation work.
Israel has also upgraded and begun renovations at a number of other historical locations, including The Tower of David, Terra Sancta Museum and the Saxum Visitor Centre in preparation for a return to normal tourism.