You’re hacking through a thick wall of vines in a Minecraft jungle. Your frame rate dips for a second because of the sheer density of the leaves, and then you see it. That mossy cobblestone and chiseled stone brick. It’s a jungle temple. Your first instinct isn't to admire the architecture—it's to wonder about the loot. Specifically, how many chests are in a jungle temple?
The short answer is two.
But if you just walk in and look around, you might only find one, or worse, you might find none before a dispenser shoots an arrow into your face. These structures are some of the oldest "generated structures" in the game, dating back to 2012. They haven't changed much, which is kind of a relief for veterans but a massive headache for new players who don't know where the developers hid the good stuff.
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The Secret of the Two Chests
Every single jungle temple generates with exactly two chests. No more, no less. If you find a temple and it feels empty, you’re missing something.
The first one is usually what I call the "Puzzle Chest." It’s tucked away behind a series of lever-operated pistons. You’ll find these levers on the upper floor of the temple. If you don't know the combination, you’re basically just flipping switches and hoping to hear the satisfying thwump of a piston moving. Honestly, most players just mine through the wall to get to it. It’s faster. We've all done it.
The second one is the "Trap Chest." This one is located downstairs, at the end of a long hallway guarded by tripwire hooks. It’s a classic Indiana Jones setup. You walk down the hall, trip a wire, and a dispenser hidden behind some vines tries to take your head off. If you’re playing on Hardcore mode, that's not just a nuisance; it's a run-ender.
Why you might find fewer than two
Minecraft's world generation is famous for its "features," which is a polite way of saying it occasionally breaks. While the blueprint for the temple always includes two chests, the terrain doesn't always cooperate.
Sometimes, a temple generates right on the edge of a ravine or a cave system. If the world generator decides a cave air pocket takes priority over the temple's stone bricks, you might find a temple that's literally cut in half. In those cases, one of the chests might just... cease to exist. Or, if you’re playing on a multiplayer server, someone probably beat you to it.
I’ve explored hundreds of these things. Usually, if you find the temple intact, the two-chest rule is absolute.
Cracking the Code: The Lever Room
The lever room is where most people get stuck. There are three levers. The game expects you to flick them in a specific order to retract a hidden door in the wall, revealing the first of the two chests.
The default combination is usually something like "Right, Left, Left, Right," but it can vary. Here is the thing: the redstone behind the wall is actually pretty simple. It’s just a basic T-Flip-Flop or a series of AND gates depending on the version you're playing. If you aren't a redstone genius, don't sweat it. Just grab your pickaxe.
Mining through the wall is the "pro" move. If you stand facing the levers and mine the floor or the wall directly behind them, you’ll see the sticky pistons. Dig a little further, and there’s your chest. This chest is where you’ll find the higher-tier loot like diamonds or emeralds.
Navigating the Tripwire Hallway
The second chest is at the end of the corridor on the bottom floor. This is where the game tries to be sneaky.
There are two tripwires. Most people see the first one, break it, and think they’re safe. They aren't. There’s a second wire right in front of the chest. If you open the chest without clearing the wires, you’re going to get hit.
The dispensers are loaded with arrows. They aren't particularly deadly if you’re wearing iron or diamond armor, but if you’re early-game and naked, those arrows hurt.
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- Tip: Look for the string on the ground. It’s nearly invisible against the mossy cobblestone.
- Safety first: Always break the dispensers first. You can actually keep the dispensers and the arrows as free loot. It’s basically a starter kit for a bow.
What’s actually inside the chests?
Knowing how many chests are in a jungle temple is only half the battle. The real question is: is it worth the trip?
The loot tables for jungle temples are actually pretty decent, especially for mid-game players. You aren't going to find an Elytra in here, but you will find some essentials. According to the official Minecraft Wiki and player testing across Bedrock and Java editions, the loot is randomized.
You’ll typically find:
- Bones and Rotten Flesh: The "junk" loot, though bones are great for meal.
- Gold Ingots: Very common.
- Iron Ingots: Also very common.
- Emeralds: These are great for trading with villagers later.
- Diamonds: Rare, but they do show up.
- Enchanted Books: These can be hit or miss. Sometimes you get Mending (rarely); sometimes you get Bane of Arthropods.
- Bamboo: This is a huge one. If you can't find a bamboo forest, the chests in a jungle temple are often the only way to get your first piece of bamboo to start a farm.
- Saddles and Horse Armor: Essential if you want to stop walking everywhere.
Comparing Jungle Temples to Desert Pyramids
It’s worth noting that while Jungle Temples have two chests, Desert Pyramids have four.
This makes the desert variety objectively "better" for loot, but the jungle temple is much harder to find. The dense canopy hides them. You can walk ten blocks past one and never see it. This rarity makes the two chests feel more valuable. It’s a trophy.
Also, unlike the Desert Pyramid, which has a massive TNT trap that can vaporize all the loot if you mess up, the Jungle Temple traps are "additive." If you trigger the trap, you just get shot. The loot stays safe in the chest. You don't have to worry about a stray creeper or a bad step destroying your hard-earned diamonds.
Modern Updates and the "New" Jungle Temple
In recent updates, specifically around the 1.20 "Trails & Tales" update, some players thought the chest count changed. It didn't.
What did change is the introduction of Suspicious Sand and Gravel in other structures. While Jungle Temples didn't get a massive overhaul in the way loot is stored, the surrounding jungle environment got much more interesting. You might find "Trail Ruins" nearby, which have a completely different loot mechanic involving brushes.
But for the classic stone-and-moss temple? It’s still the same two-chest layout it was a decade ago. It's a piece of Minecraft history that still works.
Actionable Steps for your next Jungle Raid
If you've spotted those mossy bricks through the trees, don't just rush in.
- Bring a Shears: Use them to break the tripwires without triggering the dispensers. You can also use them to clear the vines faster so you can actually see where you're going.
- Check the "Hidden" Chest first: Go to the lever room. If you don't care about the "intended" way to play, just mine the wall to the right of the levers. The chest is right there.
- Clear the Hallway: Walk slowly. Look at the floor. There are two strings. Break them.
- Loot the Dispensers: Don't forget to open the dispensers themselves. They contain arrows that you can use. In some versions, they might even have fire charges or other projectiles if the world was modded, but in vanilla, it’s just arrows.
- Take the Mossy Cobblestone: Seriously. Mossy cobblestone can be annoying to craft in bulk. The temple is made of it. Once you’ve emptied the chests, the temple itself is a great source of decorative blocks.
The next time someone asks you how many chests are in a jungle temple, you can confidently tell them there are two—provided they are smart enough to find the hidden one.
Grab your pickaxe and start digging. That bamboo and those emeralds aren't going to find themselves, and honestly, the jungle is way too dangerous to stay in one spot for long. Get in, get the two chests, and get out.
Next Steps for Success:
- Verify your version: If you are on an extremely old legacy console edition, world gen can rarely glitch the lever room. If the chest isn't there, dig one layer deeper.
- Mark your coordinates: Jungle temples are rare. If your inventory is full, mark the spot. You won't find it again easily without coordinates.
- Check for nearby structures: Jungle temples often generate near Bamboo Jungles or Lush Caves. Use the temple as a base of operations to explore the surrounding sub-biomes.
The most important thing to remember is that the "hidden" chest is the one people miss 40% of the time. Don't be that player. Check the walls, listen for the pistons, and take everything that isn't nailed down.