The story behind this In 1999, when an non-supervised excavation of the Temple Mount on Mount Moriah resulted in dozens of truckloads of the holiest land on Earth to be tossed out as debris into the Kidron Valley. Because of the historical significance, no excavations are allowed without the supervision of the Israel Antiquities Authority.

Tzachi an archaeologist student at the time happened to come across the valley and examined the debris and realized that it could be a treasure trove of information about the temple mount. The significance of the finds led them to establish a project for systematic sifting of the soil.