Search:

Home | Arts | Art History


New Excavation Dates Back to King Solomon

By: Aubrey Moulton

Israeli Archaeologist Eliat Mazar is adducing renovations newly completed date back as far as 3,000 years. This lends credence to the view that the Bible is not merely a nice story but an genuine happening. She states that the ramparts around Jerusalem go as far back as King Solomon and prove that Jerusalem was a dominant city with a cohesive centralized ruling system. Mazar believes that the evidence exhibits that Jerusalem had resources and manpower essential to build the impressive defenses.
However this detail is challenged among numerous scholars. Mazar thinks that Hebrew Kings such as David and Solomon ruled from Jerusalem in the 10th century B.C. While other archaeologists encourage the idea that the rule under King David was just a story and that there was never a localized government during that time period. Mazar held a press conference courtesy of the University of Jerusalem and stated that her find is the "most significant construction we know of from First Temple days in Israel."
She believes that Solomon, the son of King David, constructed the strongholds around the city. These are the structures just excavated. She considers that this is the precise structure spoken of in the Book of Kings in the Bible. She also feels that this wall indicates the power of a central rule because of the correlations a structure of that size would necessitate.
The fortifications included a gatehouse and a long segment of wall that is about 70 meters long and is located right outside the current dividers marking Jerusalem's Old City. The fortifications are also right next the Noble Sanctuary.
The Old Testament states that Solomon erected the first Jewish Temple on the place, but the temple was subsequently raized by the Babylonians; then rebuilt and renovated by King Herod approximately two millennia ago. Yet after that the Romans destroyed it in 70 A.D., so the question remains if such a large piece could really be found. At present, the compound is home to a pair of crucial Islamic edifices - the Dome of the Rock and the Al Aqsa mosque.
It isn't that Mazar was the initial archaeologist to unearth the wall. It was unearthed starting in the 1860s and also in the 1980s. However, she claims that her dig was the only comprehensive excavation and that it was the first to show compelling proof of the wall's age. Shards of crockery were charted along the wall and helped Mazar determine the wall's approximate age.
But Mazars assertions, as mentioned previously, have met some censure. Aren Maeir, an archaeology professor from Bar Ilan University, requires that he be able to be shown the proof that the walls are as old as Mazar declares. He holds that there are ruins from the 10th century in Jerusalem but declarations that it was the core of a sturdy centralized kingdom are a bit of a reach. Although some archaeologists consider that the story of King David and Solomon is only a tale, there are others who believe it is actual fact. And so the debate rages on.

Article Source: http://www.gambling-articles.org

This article was written and distributed by ClassesandCareers.com, a leader in online education. Start your career off on the right foot with a degree by accredited Online Schooling. If you are looking for a specific Distance Learning Course, our website can help you get started.

Please Rate this Article

 

Not yet Rated

Click the XML Icon Above to Receive Art History Articles Via RSS!

Powered by Article Dashboard