Magnificent stone remains of 2,500-year-old royal palace from the time of the Kings of Judah found carefully buried outside the walls of Jerusalem

Archaeologists have unearthed the magnificent stone remains of a 2,500-year-old royal palace outside the walls of Jerusalem that was — curiously — carefully buried.

The remains — which include ornate 'capitals' that would have topped stone columns — date to the time of the Kings of Judah, the Daily Mail reports, citing archaeological findings.

The palace would have overlooked King Solomon's Temple in the heart of Jerusalem, but is believed to have been destroyed in 586 BC by Babylonian invaders.

According to the experts, the so-called 'proto-Aeolian' style seen on the capitals was typical of royal buildings — raising the possibility that the palace belonged to a king.