Archaeologists have discovered a “monumental” fortress that protected Jerusalem’s biblical kings almost 3,000 years ago. This “dramatic” archaeological discovery solves a 150-year-old mystery in the City of David.
Since 2007, archaeologists have been excavating the area around Givati Parking Lot. Maximum Active Archaeological excavations in Jerusalem today. The excavation site on the northwest side of the City of David has unearthed different layers of the city’s life from the Middle Ages to Antiquity.
“The construction of this moat was a massive and monumental undertaking designed to demonstrate the power of Jerusalem’s rulers to all who passed through its gates.”
The most recent archaeological finds are the remains of a moat that divided the City of David in two, separating the King’s Palace and the Temple Mount from the rest of the city, including the Ophel of Jerusalem.
This fortress corresponds to the division of the cities of Ophel and Millo mentioned in the Bible.11:27), King Solomon described a fortress known as Millo.
“The reason why Solomon rebelled against the king was because he had built up Millo and repaired the breach in the city of David his father,” the Bible verse reads.
Archaeologists have been searching for the route to Jerusalem’s northern fortifications for 150 years. Excavation The mystery was finally solved, revealing a moat separating the towns with unclimbable vertical cliffs on either side.
“It is unclear when the moat was first dug, but it is clear that it was in use from the time of King Josiah when Jerusalem was the capital of the Kingdom of Judah, approximately 3,000 years ago.” Said Professor Yuval Gadot of Tel Aviv University and Dr. Yiftah Shar of the Israel Antiquities Authority.
“At that time, Jerusalem was divided into an extension of the city to the south, which served as the residence of the Jerusalemites, and the Acropolis of the Upper City, which housed palaces and temples on the Temple Mount to the north,” the archaeologists added.
“When the two exposed sections are joined, they form a deep and wide trench stretching at least 70 metres from west to east,” Gadot points out. “This dramatic discovery led us to re-examine previous excavation reports written by British archaeologist Kathleen Kenyon, who conducted excavations in the 1960s in an area of the City of David, a short distance east of the present-day Givati car park.”
Gadot said the “dramatic discovery” has opened “a new debate about the terminology of biblical sources relating to the topography of Jerusalem,” including Ophel and Milo.
Israel Antiquities Authority Said Regarding the engineering efforts involved in the construction of the moat, he wrote, “The construction of the moat was a massive and monumental undertaking, designed to alter and modify the natural topography and to demonstrate the power of the rulers of Jerusalem to those who passed through its gates.”
“The excavations at the City of David have been full of surprises, with one discovery after another shedding vivid new light on biblical texts,” Eli Eskseed, director general of the Israel Antiquities Authority, said in a press release. “Standing at the bottom of this enormous site, surrounded by gigantic cut walls, one cannot help but be filled with amazement and gratitude for these ancient people who literally moved mountains and hills some 3,800 years ago.”
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