An administrative center from the reign of King Hezekiah was uncovered in Ramat Rachel

As part of an excavation project shared by the Institute of Archeology at Tel Aviv University and the Faculty of Theology, and the Higher School of Jewish Studies at Heidelberg University

The President of the country, Shimon Peres, visited the Tel Kadum excavation site of Ramat Rachel last Friday as the guest of Prof. Oded Lifshitz from Tel Aviv University, who is managing the excavations at the site for the fifth year.

The site in Ramat Rachel is one of the most magnificent and important discovered in the Land of Israel and at the site of excavations, these days over a hundred students from Israel and abroad, mainly from Germany. As part of an excavation project shared by the Institute of Archeology at Tel Aviv University, Heidelberg University and other professionals.

At the end of the eighth century B.C. (the reign of King Hezekiah) an administrative center of quality and splendor that has no other equivalent in Judah was established there. From the many findings found at the site - centered on a huge abundance of jug handles with seal impressions on them - the researchers conclude that the purpose of the uncovered structure was to serve as the administrative center of the kingdom, and later - of the Judean tins ('Yehud Madhita'), where wine and oil jugs were concentrated, alongside products Other agriculture that Judah raised as a tax to the empires that ruled over it.

The excavation project is one of a kind, a genuine and long-term collaboration between Israeli and German academic institutions, which, in addition to its scientific interest, brings the students together for a month of intense joint stay that includes strenuous physical work in the excavations in the mornings, studies of the history of Jewish history and biblical research in the evenings, study tours in Jerusalem and trips around the country on the weekends, and this aside from parties and joint evenings. The continuation of joint research strengthens these ties throughout the other months of the year, and includes joint seminars, symposiums and scientific conferences.

There are over a hundred students and volunteers from all over the world, including about 35 Germans, about 30 Americans (including a group of 20 students from the college and the theological seminary in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania), about 20 students and staff members from Israel, and students and volunteers from many other countries (Australia, Italy, Greece, Spain, England, Estonia, Canada, etc.).

Prof. Oded Lifshitz, who directs the excavations, is a professor of the history of the people of Israel during the biblical period in the Department of Archeology and Ancient Near Eastern Cultures at Tel Aviv University. Prof. Lifshitz wrote and published many studies on the end of the First Temple, the Babylonian exile and the return of Zion, including his book - "Jerusalem between destruction and renewal - Judah under the rule of Babylon" published by Yad Yitzhak Ben-Zvi.

On the German side, Prof. Manfred Oming, from the Faculty of Theology at the University of Heidelberg, is directing the excavation. Prof. Oming is one of the top biblical scholars in Germany, he is a Protestant priest, and he served as the head of the Higher School of Jewish Studies at the University of Heidelberg and as the Dean of the Faculty of Theology.

Under the direction of Prof. Lifshitz and Prof. Oming, the excavation is led by a team of young archaeologists from the Institute of Archeology at Tel Aviv University, headed by Dr. Yuval Gadot, with the assistance of other professionals. The excavation is supported by research funds and private donors, and is taking place with the assistance of the National Fund for Israel, the government tourism company and Kibbutz Ramat Rachel.

The site in Ramat Rachel is one of the most magnificent and important discovered in the Land of Israel. At the end of the eighth century B.C. (the reign of King Hezekiah), an administrative center of quality and splendor that has no other equivalent in Judah was established there. This center included a magnificent palace, a citadel, royal gardens that surrounded the building from three directions, an elaborate water system that included pools, covered canals and open canals, and in the center stood large and impressive stone capitals and window sills made of stone of excellent quality and in a spectacular style.
The center that was uncovered as part of this season's excavations continued to be used non-stop, and with expansion and changes in the palace buildings, at the end of the days of the First Temple (the days of the reigns of Manasseh, Josiah up to Jehoiakim and Zedekiah) and throughout the days of Zion's return - from the beginning of the return from Babylon, through the days of Ezera and Nehemiah until the Hellenistic period .

The magnificent center was completely destroyed during the Hasmonean era (probably in the middle or the second half of the second century BC). The stones were removed from the walls, the magnificent garden was completely destroyed and lime kilns were built on the spot to burn the stones and turn the entire site into a pile of ruins. The remaining remains were covered with layers of dirt and pebbles, until they completely disappeared from view. Not only that - the place is 'Jewish' through the establishment of a Jewish village on the ruins of the ancient palace. From this Jewish village, there are many purification bowls that were in the basements of the houses, impressive and large columbarium caves that were used for raising pigeons, and in them were also found stone tools and other finds that testify to the continued existence of the Jewish village at least until the destruction of Jerusalem by the Romans (70 AD).

The place continued to be used as a Roman village, which included large buildings, a bath house and auxiliary buildings. Later, at the beginning of the Byzantine period, a church was built on the site, along with many buildings and a large cemetery. The latest stage that took place in the place, before its abandonment, was during the Umayyad and Abbasid periods, and from then until the establishment of Kibbutz Ramat Rachel (in 1926), the place was abandoned and not inhabited for almost 1000 years.