Ancient city walls around the City of David

The ancient city walls around the City of David refer to an ancient fortification re-excavated in 2010 in the City of David by archaeologist Eilat Mazar who believes that it dates to the late 10th-century BCE.

Dating of wall

Although consensus on the dating of the wall has not been reached by the archaeological community, Mazar maintains that, "It's the most significant construction we have from First Temple days in Israel," and "It means that at that time, the 10th century, in Jerusalem there was a regime capable of carrying out such construction." The 10th century is the period the Bible describes as the reign of King Solomon.^[1]

Structural features

A section of wall 79 metres (259 ft) long and 6 metres (20 ft) high has been uncovered. The discoveries include an inner gatehouse, a "royal structure" and a corner tower with a base measuring 23 metres (75 ft) by 18 metres (59 ft) from which watchmen could keep watch on the Kidron Valley. According to Mazar, the built structures are similar to the First Temple era fortifications of Megiddo, Beersheba and Ashdod. Mazar told reporters that "A comparison of this latest finding with city walls and gates from the period of the First Temple, as well as pottery found at the site," enable her to "postulate, with a great degree of assurance" that the wall dates form the late 10th-century BCE.^[1]

Mazar told reporters that "A comparison of this latest finding with city walls and gates from the period of the First Temple, as well as pottery found at the site, enable us to postulate, with a great degree of assurance, that the wall that has been revealed is that which was built by King Solomon in Jerusalem in the latter part of the tenth century BCE." ^[1]

Broken potters in the "royal structure" enabled archaeologists to date the building. One storage jar bears an inscription in Hebrew. Mazar told the Jerusalem Post that "The jars that were found are the largest ever found in Jerusalem," and "the inscription found on one of them shows that it belonged to a government official, apparently the person responsible for overseeing the provision of baked goods to the royal court." ^[1]

Previous excavations

The wall has been excavated twice before, once in the 1860s and again in the 1980s. Ms Mazar claimed her dig was the first complete excavation, as well as the first to turn up strong evidence for the wall's age.^[2] In 1867 Charles Warren conducted an underground survey in the area, describing the outline of a large tower but without attributing it to the era of Solomon.^[3]

According to 1 Kings 3:1, King Solomon built "the wall of Jerusalem round about."

The dig is a joint project of Hebrew University, the Israel Antiquities Authority and the Israel Nature and Parks Authority,^[4] with funding provided by Daniel Mintz and Meredith Berkman.^[1]

Aren Maeir, an archeology professor at Bar Ilan University said he has yet to see evidence that the fortifications are as old as Mazar claims. Whilst acknowledging that 10th century remains have been found in Jerusalem he describes proof of strong, centralized kingdom at that time as "tenuous".^[1]

References