Magnificent and rare remains of a royal building from the time of the kings of Judah were discovered in an excavation by the Antiquities Authority on the famous Jerusalem Promenade * The archaeologists: "The column headings - identified with the royal construction of the days of the First Temple, are the most beautiful and impressive uncovered to date"
Who was privileged to live in the magnificent building which, during the First Temple period, overlooked the spectacular view of the City of David and the Temple, and whose remains were uncovered in an archaeological dig on the Promenade of the Governor's Palace? Was it one of the kings of Judah, or perhaps it was one of the great tenets of Jerusalem?
A rare, impressive and extremely special collection of several dozen decorated architectural stone items, which were incorporated into a magnificent building, was discovered in the excavations of the Antiquities Authority in preparation for the establishment of a visitor center on the Promenade of the Commissioner's Palace, in the place where the house of the painter Shaul Schatz used to be. The excavations were funded by the Ministry of Tourism, the Jerusalem Municipality and the City of David Association.
The exciting findings were revealed this week (Thursday) to the public at a festive event in the City of David in the National Park surrounding the walls of Jerusalem, in the presence of the Minister of Culture and Sports Hili Troper, archaeologist of the Jerusalem region at the Antiquities Authority Dr. Yuval Baruch, and the CEO of the El Ir David (Al-Eir David) association, David Barry
These stone items are made of soft limestone, they are carved by a craftsman, and among them are capitals of different sizes in the artistic style known in the research as 'Proto-Aeolian' - from the distinctly royal construction characteristics of the days of the First Temple, and from the visual symbols of the period. The importance of this artistic motif as a symbol representing the kingdoms of Judah and Israel even led the Bank of Israel to choose it as an ornament that adorns the five shekel coin of the State of Israel.
The revealed collection includes, among other things, three complete medium-sized stone capitals and pieces of magnificent windows - in which balustrades were incorporated. These were composed of stylized columns on top of which are a series of (mini-titles) - tiny sized titles in the proto-Aeolian style.
The findings will be presented to the public in a display in the City of David during the next few days and an explanation of them will be given online at the Magalim Institute's "City of David Research" conference that will be held this Tuesday on the City of David website.
According to Yaakov Bilig, the director of the excavation on behalf of the Antiquities Authority, "This is a very exciting discovery. This is the first time that scaled-down models of the giant proto-Aeolian capitals of the type found so far in the kingdoms of Judah and Israel, where they were incorporated above the gates of the kings' palaces, have been discovered. The level of execution in the work on the current titles is the best seen to date, and the level of preservation of the items is rare."
It was surprising to discover that two of the three page titles were buried neatly, one on top of the other. "At this stage it is still difficult to say who buried the headlines in the way they were discovered, and why he did it, but there is no doubt that this is one of the mysteries on this special site and we will try to offer a solution to it," adds Billig. Unlike the capitals, which were discovered in an excellent state of preservation, the rest of the building was destroyed, most likely in the Babylonian destruction of Jerusalem in 586 BC, or around that time. The remains of the building were destroyed and dismantled in favor of secondary use of the valuable items.
The unveiling of the magnificent structure, which was built in the period between the days of King Hezekiah and the days of King Josiah, indicates, in Bilig's estimation, the recovery of Jerusalem after the Assyrian siege of the city in the days of King Hezekiah, in 701 BC, a siege from which the city barely survived.
"This discovery, along with the palace previously uncovered in Ramat Rachel and the administrative center recently uncovered by the Antiquities Authority on the Arnona slopes, testify to a new revival in the city and an "exit from the walls" of the days of the First Temple after the Assyrian siege. We are discovering villas, mansions and government buildings in the Peroz area outside the city, and this is evidence of the relief felt by the city's residents after the siege was lifted." Billig notes.
The Minister of Culture and Sports, Hili Trooper, said: "I am happy and excited with the discovery of the remains from the time of the kings of Judah. Uncovering the remains of the building reflects the glorious roots of the Jewish people and our rich past here in the capital city of Jerusalem. I see great importance in the work of the Antiquities Authority and the work of the City of David in their discoveries over the years, which reveal parts of the glorious Jewish past. This is an opportunity to thank the Al Ir David (Al-A'd) association that financed the important excavation. The past is the foundation stone of a nation, and also the foundation stone of a culture and its discovery also affects the present and the future. The Ministry of Culture and Sports will continue to support this important enterprise of heritage, history and culture."
The recognition of the strategic and scenic qualities of the area were also reflected some 2600 years later, when the British Mandate government built its central government house on the spot, known as the "Commissioner's Palace". A few decades later, one of the most famous promenades in the State of Israel was built on the site, the 'Commissioner's Palace' promenade, from which the magnificent view of the City of David and the Temple Mount can be seen to this day.
One response
Someone update Finkelstein Howell