Jerusalem City Wall Possibly Built by Solomon Discovered

[n2doc]

By Lauren Effron | Mon Feb 22, 2010 12:20 PM ET
An ancient street was uncovered in Jerusalem earlier this month, revealing what commercial life was like in the Old City 1,500 years ago, and now archaeologists have hit a wall. In a very good way.

A section of Jerusalem's city wall dating back to the 10th century B.C. was found. And some see possible proof of the Bible in the discovery since King Solomon may have created the structure, as described in the First Books of Kings, according to a report today in Science Daily.

The 70-meter-long (230-foot-long), six-meter-high (20-foot-high) wall complex contained "an inner gatehouse for access into the royal quarter of the city, a royal structure adjacent to the gatehouse, and a corner tower that overlooks a substantial section of the adjacent Kidron valley."

Archaeologists from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem say the wall is located in the area known as the Ophel, between the City of David and the southern wall of the Temple Mount.

"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 B.C.E.," said Dr. Eilat Mazar of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.

more:

http://news.discovery.com/archaeology/jerusalem-city-wall-possibly-build-by-solomon-discovered.html

[xchrom]

1. Very cool. Nt

[Adsos Letter]

2. K&R. It will be interesting to hear Israel Finkelsteins's response to this

as well as Bill Dever's.

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

4. What are those people about? -nt

[Adsos Letter]

5. They are two of the top scholars of Syro-Palestinian archaeology

in the field today (one Israeli, and the other American.) They have different views on the dating and historicity of biblical accounts regarding the establishment of an Israelite kingdom.

The Bible Unearthed: Archaeology's New Vision of Ancient Israel and the Origin of Its Sacred Texts by Neil Asher Silberman and Israel Finkelstein
http://www.amazon.com/Bible-Unearthed-Archaeologys-Vision-Ancient/dp/0684869136/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1266940146&sr=1-1

What Did the Biblical Writers Know and When Did They Know It?: What Archaeology Can Tell Us About the Reality of Ancient Israel by William G. Dever
http://www.amazon.com/What-Biblical-Writers-Know-When/dp/080282126X/ref=sr_1_fkmr1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1266940267&sr=1-1-fkmr1

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

3. So, the Bible says King Solomon built a wall/fortress/whatever and it turns out he did.

Therefore, OBVIOUSLY, what the Bible says about talking snakes, burning bushes, walking on water and people raising from the dead MUST be true!

"Proof of the Bible" my ass.

All that aside, a way cool archaeological finding.

[cbdo2007]

6. Just because they find proof doesn't mean the Bible is true!!!

This was probably planted there by right-wing loonies. It's a known fact the Knights Templar secretly built a bunch of ancient walls beneath Jerusalem to trick people into believing in Jesus. "Won't get fooled again!"

[KharmaTrain]

7. Nope It Won't...

Just prove that the bible has elements in it that are true...and so be it. There have been other traces that proove Solomon did exist and this has zero to do with the old testament or new one. Just a discovery...that still needs to be verified as to its authenticity (age). The questions would be if there are inscriptions on the walls or any artifacts found nearby.

The temple mount is an archeological no-man's land as historians would love to dig under the Dome Of The Rock & the Al Aksa Mosque where the real goodies like the supposed "ark of the covenant". For those who want to believe, they'll find a reason to...historical fact or not.

[Adsos Letter]

8. As I noted in a post above, it will be interesting to hear how Finkelstein or Dever respond to this

apparently Dr. Mazar has found distinctive pottery shards (one of the generally accepted touchstones for dating) in conjunction with the wall.

And you are quite correct; this has zero to do with the ghistoricity of earlier/later portions of the bible.

[LanternWaste]

9. I still get surprised at the amazing...

I still get surprised at the amazing engineering feats of mankind throughout the ages; and almost as amazed that we have the intelligence, the technologies and the drive to discover as much as we do about them.