New research within the Holy Land into the expansion and construction of Jerusalem is lending further credence to recordings contained throughout the ancient texts of the Bible.
Published last month in the celebrated journal, PNAS, a report by the Israel Antiquities Authority, Tel Aviv University, and the Weizmann Institute of Science brings together the findings of over almost a decade of excavations of the City of David National Park.
The research includes over 100 radiocarbon dates taken from 4 different excavation areas on the eastern and western slopes of the traditional city, sampling organic sources equivalent to grape seeds, date pits, and bat skeletons.
The findings challenge current wisdom surrounding the age of structures uncovered by archaeologists, and have allowed researchers to correlate events described within the Bible with the archaeological record.
“The latest research allows us to review the event of town: until now, most researchers have linked Jerusalem’s growth to the west, to the period of King Hezekiah – just over 2,700 years ago. The conventional assumption thus far has been that town expanded resulting from the arrival of refugees from the Kingdom of Israel within the north, following the Assyrian exile,” Professor Yuval Gadot of Tel Aviv University said.
“However, the brand new findings strengthen the view that Jerusalem grew in size and spread towards Mount Zion already within the ninth century BCE, in the course of the reign of King Jehoash, 100 years before the Assyrian exile.”
These findings are due to a breakthrough in carbon dating techniques that uses ancient tree rings to create a precise timeline of dates, filling in what has been considered a “black hole” in the usage of carbon-14 dating. This has allowed researchers to point out the extent of the magnificent buildings and residences first in-built the ninth–eighth centuries BCE, and used constantly until 586 BCE, when town suffered violent destruction that resulted in the long run of the Kingdom of Judah.
“For a long time, it was assumed that this wall was built by Hezekiah, King of Judah, however it is now becoming clear that it dates back to the times of King Uzziah, as hinted at within the Bible: ‘And Uzziah built towers in Jerusalem…and strengthened them’ (2 Chronicles 26:9),” Doctor Joe Uziel of the Israel Antiquities Authority said.
“Until now, many researchers have assumed that the wall was built by Hezekiah during his revolt against Sennacherib, King of Assyria, with a view to defend Jerusalem in the course of the Assyrian siege. It is now apparent that the wall in its eastern part, in the world of the City of David, was built earlier, shortly after the good earthquake of Jerusalem, and as a part of the development of town in the course of the reign of King Uzziah.”
This research, and more prefer it being conducted every single day within the Holy Land, helps to fill within the gaps within the historical record of Jerusalem’s first 4 millennia of existence. Thanks to those scientific studies, a clearer understanding of the dominion of Judah and the periods preceding it’s starting to emerge, and, with it, proof of their place within the Biblical record.
