Posted on 02/22/2010 4:34:40 AM PST by SJackson
Jerusalem, February 22, 2010 - A section of an ancient city wall of Jerusalem from the tenth century B.C.E. - possibly built by King Solomon -- has been revealed in archaeological excavations directed by Dr. Eilat Mazar and conducted under the auspices of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.
The section of the city wall revealed, 70 meters long and six meters high, is located in the area known as the Ophel, between the City of David and the southern wall of the Temple Mount.
Uncovered in the city wall complex are: 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.
The excavations in the Ophel area were carried out over a three-month period with funding provided by Daniel Mintz and Meredith Berkman, a New York couple interested in Biblical Archeology. The funding supports both completion of the archaeological excavations and processing and analysis of the finds as well as conservation work and preparation of the site for viewing by the public within the Ophel Archaeological Park and the national park around the walls of Jerusalem.
The excavations were carried out in cooperation with the Israel Antiquities Authority, the Israel Nature and Parks Authority, and the Company for the Development of East Jerusalem. Archaeology students from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem as well as volunteer students from the Herbert W. Armstrong College in Edmond, Oklahoma, and hired workers all participated in the excavation work.
"The city wall that has been uncovered testifies to a ruling presence. Its strength and form of construction indicate a high level of engineering", Mazar said. The city wall is at the eastern end of the Ophel area in a high, strategic location atop the western slop of the Kidron valley.
"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 Mazar
"This is the first time that a structure from that time has been found that may correlate with written descriptions of Solomon's building in Jerusalem," she added. "The Bible tells us that Solomon built -- with the assistance of the Phoenicians, who were outstanding builders -- the Temple and his new palace and surrounded them with a city, most probably connected to the more ancient wall of the City of David." Mazar specifically cites the third chapter of the First Books of Kings where it refers to "until he (Solomon) had made an end of building his own house, and the house of the Lord, and the wall of Jerusalem round about."
The six-meter-high gatehouse of the uncovered city wall complex is built in a style typical of those from the period of the First Temple like Megiddo, Beersheva and Ashdod. It has symmetrical plan of four identical small rooms, two on each side of the main passageway. Also there was a large, adjacent tower, covering an area of 24 by 18 meters, which was intended to serve as a watchtower to protect entry to the city. The tower is located today under the nearby road and still needs to be excavated. Nineteenth century British surveyor Charles Warren, who conducted an underground survey in the area, first described the outline of the large tower in 1867 but without attributing it to the era of Solomon.
"Part of the city wall complex served as commercial space and part as security stations," explained Mazar. Within the courtyard of the large tower there were widespread public activities, she said. It served as a public meeting ground, as a place for conducting commercial activities and cult activities, and as a location for economic and legal activities.
Pottery shards discovered within the fill of the lowest floor of the royal building near the gatehouse also testify to the dating of the complex to the 10th century B.C.E. Found on the floor were remnants of large storage jars, 1.15 meters in height, that survived destruction by fire and that were found in rooms that apparently served as storage areas on the ground floor of the building. On one of the jars there is a partial inscription in ancient Hebrew indicating it belonged to a high-level government official.
"The jars that were found are the largest ever found in Jerusalem," said Mazar, adding that "the inscription that was 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."
In addition to the pottery shards, cult figurines were also found in the area, as were seal impressions on jar handles with the word "to the king," testifying to their usage within the monarchy. Also found were seal impressions (bullae) with Hebrew names, also indicating the royal nature of the structure. Most of the tiny fragments uncovered came from intricate wet sifting done with the help of the salvaging Temple Mount Sifting Project, directed by Dr. Gabriel Barkai and Zachi Zweig, under the auspice of the Nature and Parks Authority and the Ir David Foundation.
Between the large tower at the city gate and the royal building the archaeologists uncovered a section of the corner tower that is eight meters in length and six meters high. The tower was built of carved stones of unusual beauty.
East of the royal building, another section of the city wall that extends for some 35 meters also was revealed. This section is five meters high, and is part of the wall that continues to the northeast and once enclosed the Ophel area.
Photos available via e-mail upon request and at the following link: http://bit.ly/cRvAeH
For further information: Jerry Barach, Dept. of Media Relations, the Hebrew University, Tel: 02-588-2904. Orit Sulitzeanu, Hebrew University spokesperson, Tel: 054-8820016.
BCE/CE notation system’s been in use for well over a century; you’d think educated people would be used to seeing by now...just like the metric measurements used.
The BC/BCE deal is fairly clever.
It’s long been obvious to Christians that God set the calendar for the Hebrews.
“It’s long been obvious to Christians that God set the calendar for the Hebrews.”
Why don’t you produce said calendar then?
“The location is Israel. By law it’s a “Jewish Nation”. The Jews don’t have “Christ” at the top of their list ~ just their thing eh!”
Are you saying it was the Jewish folks who took Christ out of BC? I don’t think so...where is your proof?
Frankly, in Israel they can count the years as the wish, and use whatever terminology they come up with that they can agree is serviceable.
We have dozens in America who think "BC" stands for "before cluthu".
“Why don’t I produce”? Hey, do I look like God to you?
Thanks Jewbacca (great name by the way) When does the Jewish calendar start? Coming out of Egypt?
““Why don’t I produce”? Hey, do I look like God to you?”
:) No, you don’t look like God nor Jesus Christ to me...you look like a string of letters, making little sense actually. But, at least you are having fun.
“When does the Jewish calendar start?”
One year before the date of Creation (give or take; there is a missing 165 years, that is a subject of much dispute).
That said, ever since R’ Azariah dei Rossi, in Me’or Einayim, it has been accepted that the traditional Hebrew dating is not historically precise regarding the years before the Second Temple.
“Where did you get that? I have never heard of a calendar ESTABLISHED by G-d.”
I would suggest reading the Torah. The calendar was establish by G-d in Exodus, which would be in any Bible:
http://www.mechon-mamre.org/p/pt/pt0212.htm#2
“What’s wrong...are you afraid of typing G-D???”
No. I do, however, obey His laws. (Or at least try to.) We do not write G-d’s name in a place where it may be discarded or erased. Treating G-d’s name with reverence is a way to give respect to G-d.
http://www.jewfaq.org/name.htm
“What does any of that have to do with what I said anyway?”
You (or another poster or posters, don’t recall) was upset about the use of “CE” or “BCE”). The response to this is Jewish people will use the Gregorian Calendar, even though it is based on pagan Roman practices, as the Gregorian calendar is generally used in the secular world, but decline to adopt language that promotes a religious worldview with which they disagree.
In other words, the BCE or CE is a compromise.
If Jewish people were as stubborn as those that demand “AD” or “BC,” the calendar dating would be the Hebrew calendar.
I did go to the site you linked to...I think it is a very far stretch to say that that is God’s calendar in the context we were discussing on this thread...
I was not aware that Jewish folks think it is sacrilegious to spell out God. Thanks for pointing that out. In my faith, there is no problem with it...as you can see.
I don’t think the Jewish scholars had much to do with taking Jesus Christ out of the long, long designation describing the modern era. If it were Jewish involvement then perhaps they would have changed the dates of the “Common Era” to be something other than the general birth of Jesus/death of Jesus. I think it is far more likely that the power behind the evil is from atheists. But, I really do not know who started it.
“I did go to the site you linked to...I think it is a very far stretch to say that that is G-d’s calendar in the context we were discussing on this thread...”
If you had natural curiosity, it would take little effort to see that portion of Exodus is the seed.
FWIW, the dating concept from (slightly before) Biblical date of Creation is called “Anno Mundi” and was used by Christians until pagan Roman emporers decided they wanted to be immortalized in the calendar.
Orthodox Christians (and Roman Christians until they got eaten by lions) still use a parallel non-pagan dating system known as “Etos Kosmou.”
The only dating I have ever heard of...including in history classes at university is the BC/AD dating. Until recently this is what was used, period. At least in the civilized portion of the planet.
A seed is not a product and you have failed to produce a calender...you choose to be dogmatic and hence we have come to a standstill.
I enjoyed discussing light hearted things with you, but wish to move on now...thanks for the chuckles.
“The only dating I have ever heard of...including in history classes at university is the BC/AD dating.”
You are woefully uneduated, then.
“Until recently this is what was used, period.”
No, actually the Gregorian Calendar was an invention of the middle ages, 24 February 1582 CE, specifically, and based on the pagan Julian calendar.
The AM dating system of the Hebrew calender is far older.
“At least in the civilized portion of the planet.”
I had no idea Israel, Greece, and most of eastern Europe was not civilized. Indeed, I thought most considered Greece to be the cradle of Western civilization.
“you choose to be dogmatic and hence we have come to a standstill.”
No, I choose to be factual. Facts apparently disturb your worldview.
Wrong, you just called something evil with no basis whatsoever except for your own stupid view of what Christianity is. Go back to the skinhead websites.
“Christ” is the Greek word for “Messiah.” For a Jew to describe dates as “Before Christ” (B.C.) would be to acknowledge that Jesus is the Messiah — which is something that, by definition, a Jew cannot do. It is not “evil” for Jews to reject that Jesus was “Christ.” So Jews say “B.C.E.”, basically because you Gentiles would have no idea what time period we were referring to if we used the correct, Biblically ordained calender (which defines this year as 5770 years since Creation).
Of course Jews are allowed to see the truth. There are a goodly number of Jews who recognize Jesus Christ as the true Messiah. They are called Messianic Jews for Yeshua.
Of course taking Jesus Christ out of the calendar yet leaving the date ranges that encompassed is evil...Jesus = God = Good that which works to take Jesus out of our lives is by simple definition evil...
Can you show me where the term BCE was created by Jews?
“Wrong, you just called something evil with no basis whatsoever except for your own stupid view of what Christianity is. Go back to the skinhead websites.”
My, what a small minded little snot...read much?
So, in other words, you think Jews are evil for not acknowledging Jesus as Messiah. Glad we’ve got that cleared out of the way. Now please go f-ck yourself for being an intolerant, Jew-hating bastard.
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