Uncovering King David's Palace: No More Excuses
In 2005, Mazar's excavations unearthed a massive thirty-meter wall ending at a right angle. Pottery found within the wall predates King David, indicating it can't be later than his era. No more excuses...
- יהוסף יעבץ
- פורסם י"א אייר התשפ"ד
(Photo: shutterstock) #VALUE!
In the month of Iyar, the construction of the First Temple began, but its foundations were laid by King David himself, as celebrated in the psalm, "A song at the dedication of the house of David."
Thirty years ago, an Israeli archaeologist named Finkelstein declared disbelief in the grand tales of the Kingdom of David and Solomon. Based on remnants in Jerusalem, he claimed the city was a shabby village in their time...
Of course, such a claim is foolish. We have no real way of knowing much about what happened in Jerusalem 3,000 years ago. With the many wars, conquests, and destructions it has endured, the presumption to know all about its ancient history is ridiculous.
Yet even by standard archaeological methods, his arrogant statements faced opposition. An Israeli archaeologist named Eilat Mazar took the opposite approach: instead of dismissing the Bible and searching for "proofs" from silence, she did the opposite. After studying the description of Jerusalem's conquest in 2 Samuel 5, Mazar concluded that the fortress of David was lower than the palace, as the prophet states David "went down to the fortress." So, boldly, she announced in a reputable archaeological magazine in January 1997 that she was going to look for and find the palace remains above the fortress, even though logic dictates the fortress should be at the highest point.
Mazar wrote: "Some may approach my hypothesis with skepticism, but my response is simple. Let us examine it in the way archaeologists always test their theories: through excavations."
Indeed, in 2005, Mazar's excavations revealed a massive thirty-meter wall ending at a right angle. This is not the wall of a house in a shabby village; it must be part of a very large state structure. Pottery found within the wall predates King David, meaning it can't be later than his era. No more excuses...
Many additional features suggest it is likely an enormous palace from the days of David and Solomon, proving to those still seeking evidence that the history described by the prophets is real and tangible.
