The cave itself served as a well-ventilated basement where sheep were reared, because the area was not comfortable to live in and there were no human remains discovered upon excavation.

[7][8] Menachem Mendel, a hotelier of Jerusalem, reported in his 1839 book Sefer Korot Ha-Itim about the condition of the burial cave and how an entrance fee had to be paid in order to be granted access.

He says;[7] Outside of the city, I went to the grave of Othniel ben Kenaz and, next to him, are laid to rest nine students; these in the niches in the wall of a shelter standing in a vineyard.

I gave 20 pa’res to the owner of the vineyard.Writing in the 19th century, the traveller J. J. Benjamin narrated the following about the cave in his book Eight Years in Asia and Africa:[8] Likewise outside the city, towards the south, in a vineyard, which was purchased by the Jews, are the graves of the father of King David and of the first Judge, Othniel, the son of Kinah.After the 1948 Arab–Israeli War had ended, Israeli soldiers entered the site to renovate the cave before installing a sign or plaque in Hebrew and Arabic which indicated the burial of Othniel within the cave.

[9][10] However, some of the Jewish rioters reportedly attacked the incoming IDF in order to maintain peace between Palestinians and Israelis.