assive 3,800-Year-Old Fortress Uncovered in City of David
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The excavation of the Spring House fortress, conquered by King David, and where King Solomon was crowned, took 15 years.
The biggest fortress ever uncovered in Israel from the pre-Herod period was inaugurated in March 2014 in a secret ceremony. The
fortress, that was built some 3,800 years ago, was uncovered during a
15-year archeological dig in the City of David, one of the most complex
and unique digs ever done in Israel.
The
Spring House – a massive Canaanite fortress, that was built in the 18
century BC, was excavated in a complex operation led by Professor Ronny
Reich from Haifa University and Eli Shukron from the Israel Antiquities
Authority.
The
fortress protects the Biblical Gihon Spring with a massive
fortification that isolates the spring and allows access to it only to
those coming from the west – from inside the city.
According
to Shmuel II chapter 5, King David conquered the “Zion Fortress” from
the Jebusite king and his men. The Spring House raises the possibility
that it is the same impressive fortress, into which King David’s men
entered as they were conquering Jerusalem from the Jebusites.
At the beginning of Kings I, Nathan the prophet and Tzadok HaKohen describe King Sholomon’s coronation as taking place “on Gihon.” This ceremony took place, researchers believe, at the heart of the Spring House – over the gushing Gihon Spring.
At the beginning of Kings I, Nathan the prophet and Tzadok HaKohen describe King Sholomon’s coronation as taking place “on Gihon.” This ceremony took place, researchers believe, at the heart of the Spring House – over the gushing Gihon Spring.
“When we
open the Bible and read about King Solomon who was crowned here, on the
Gihon Spring – today you can come and see: this is where it happened.
This is where it all started,” said Oriya Desberg, the manager of
development at the City of David.
A safe access to Jerusalem’s water sources
Archeological
digs in the Biblical City of David started in 1867 – exactly 100 years
before the city returned to Jewish control – by The Palestine
Exploration Fund (P.E.F), led by Captain Charles Warren. But the first
excavator to reach the thick of the fortress, without even realizing it
at the time, was a treasure hunter by the name of Montague Parker, who
was searching for the Ark of the Covenant and King Solomon’s treasures
in the heart of the massive Canaanite fortress between the years
1909-1911.
Parker’s
first dig was done in complete secrecy after he bribed the Turks to
allow him to dig in the site. In May 1911, an attentive guard who was
not among the bribe receivers found out about the dig. Parker had to
flee for his life and escape to Cyprus on a yacht that was waiting for
him at the Jaffa Port. The remnants of the tunnels Parker and his men
dug up a century ago can be seen today in the fortress’ upper part.
The fortress – that has
seven-meters-thick walls made up of 2-3 meters-big stones – was built
3,800 years ago without any mechanic tools.
Source:
netnews.com
netnews.com
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