![]() |
The City of Settlement in the City of According to Joshua and Judges, After David reigned for a short time in Despite David's and Solomon's efforts to make Jerusalem a unifying factor, the kingdom split and the city remained the capital of Judah only. |
In 586 BCE ,
the Babylonians conquered the city, destroying it after a lengthy siege. "…came Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard, a servant
of the king of Babylon ,
unto Jerusalem .
And he burnt the house of the LORD, and the king's house; and all the houses of
Jerusalem …(2
Kings 25:8).
The
period of the Return to Zion
(late 6th century BCE )
say the renewal of Jewish settlement in Jerusalem
and the rebuilding of the temple. As the
city spread, the location of the original City of David was forgotten. Toward the end of the Ottoman period, Jewish
settlement on the hill was renewed when the Meyuhas family built their home
there in 1873. A few years later, in
1885, a large group of Yemenite Jews settled in the village of Kfar Hashiloah ,
which they established next to the Arab village of Silwan .
When
archaeological exploration of Jerusalem
began in the last 19th century, discoveries on the hill led to its
identification as the ancient core of the city.
Scholars and archaeological expeditions from all over the world flocked
to the site, which soon became the most excavated mount in the history of archaeology.
The
large stone structure – the remains of David’s Palace?
2
Samuel 5, 11
And
Hirma king of Tyre
sent messengers to David, and cedar-trees, and carpenters, and masons; and they
built David a house.
In
2005 remains of what became known as the “Large stone structure” were
discovered beneath ruins from the 2nd Temple and Byzantine periods. Mainly visible in the excavation are the
fieldstones that served as the foundation of this large structure; its upper
stories have not survived. Excavations in
recent years under the direction of Eilat Mazar, have unearthed numerous finds
associated with the structure, which she believes was constructed in the early
10th century BCE . Based on clues from the Bible regarding the
location of David’s house, and on stately architectural elements founds in a
nearby landslide, it was suggested that this may have been King David’s palace.
2
bullae (clay impressions used for sealing documents) belonging to high-ranking
officials in the court of King Zedekiah, the last King of Judah, were found in
relation to the structure.
The
royal quarter (Area G)
![]() |
The royal quarter (Area G) |
Jeremiah
30,18
The
city shall be rebuilt on its mound, and the fortress in its proper place.
Many
of the homes of ancient Jerusalem
were built on this slope. The nature of
these dwellings and the remains found within them, show that during the 1st
Temple period
this was a residential quarter inhabited by notables and royal officials. This quarter, together with the rest of Jerusalem , was destroyed
by the Babylonians in 586 BCE . In the first part of the 2nd Temple period, a new city wall was built
at the top of this area, leaving the earlier ruins outside the city limits.
The
impressive stepped structure uncovered at the top of this area served as part
of a large retaining wall. Scholars are
divided as to the date of its construction.
Some contend it was built in the 13-12th centuries BCE as part of the foundation of the Canaanite
Fortress of Zion, conquered by David, while others believe it supported David’s
palace.
Below
the steps is a house, which, according to potsherds found in the ruins, may
have belonged to Ahiel. The house is a
typical 4-roomed 1st Temple
period dwelling. To the right of the
building is a stone toilet seat, set over a pit. The presence of a toilet near the dwelling
reflects the elevated status of its residents.
To
the right of the house is a room that was burnt and collapsed in the fire that
consumed Jerusalem
in 586 BCE , after it was conquered
by the Babylonians. The floor of the
room was covered in a thick layer of ash, underneath which excavators found
numerous arrowheads and the remains of wooden furniture. The furniture, made of wood imported from Syria , is
another sign of the elevated status of the inhabitants.
Remains
of an archive, known as the “House of the Bullae”, were unearthed in the lower
section of the site. The building that
housed the archive and its contents were destroyed in the fire, together with
the entire quarter. 51 bullae, hardened
and preserved by the fire, were discovered by archaeologist Yigal Shiloh during
his excavations in 1978-1985. The seal
impressions bear the names of people from the 1st Temple period, including some known from the
Bible, such as Gemariahu, an important official in the court of King Jehoiakim.
Nehemiah’s
Wall
To
the right of the stepped structure once stood a large stone tower (dismantled
by the archeologists), which was built in Nehemiah’s time in the mid-5th
century BCE . The small section of wall that can be seen
also becomes to this period. Nehemiah is
believed to have constructed the wall here at the top of the slope because
piles of debris from the Babylonian destruction made it impossible to rebuild
along the original line.
No comments:
Post a Comment