City of David (archaeological site)

This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain : Easton, Matthew George (1897). Easton's Bible Dictionary (New and revised ed.). Nelson and Sons. : Missing or empty |title= ( help ) Ophel - hill; mound, the long, narrow, rounded promontory on the southern slope of the temple hill in Jerusalem , between the Tyropoeon and the Kedron valley (2 Chr. 27:3; 33:14; Neh. 3:26, 27). It was surrounded by a separate wall, and was occupied by the Nethinim after the Captivity. This wall has been discovered by the engineers of the Palestine Exploration Fund at the south-eastern angle of the temple area. It is 4 feet below the present surface. In 2 Kings 5:24 this word is translated "tower" (R.V., "hill"), denoting probably some eminence near Elisha's house.

The City of David (they) ( Ir David ) is the oldest settled neighborhood of Jerusalem and a major archaeological site. It is a narrow ridge running south from the Temple Mount . It was a walled city in the Bronze Age and, according to tradition, it is the place where King David built his palace and established his capital. The City of David was naturally defended by the Tyropoeon Valley on its west, the Hinnom valley to the south, and the Kidron Valley on the east; although over time the once-steep valley to the west has been largely filled in. In ancient times, the City of David was separated from the Temple Mount by the Ophel , an uninhabited area which became the seat of government under Israelite rule. During the reign of Hezekiah , the walls of the city were expanded westward, enclosing a previously unwalled suburb in the area now known as the Old City of Jerusalem , west of the Temple Mount. Today the archaeological dig and visitor center are one of the major tourist destinations in Israel . Although there is currently both Muslim and Jewish housing in the area, archeological digs are ongoing under many of the homes and it is proposed to make the entire ridge into an archaeological park.

City of David in the period of Herod's Temple , Holyland Model of Jerusalem . The southern wall of the Temple Mount appears at top. Tourist inside Hezekiah's tunnel 2010 City of David (Hebrew: ( , Ir David ; Arabic: , Madīna Dāwūd ) is the name for an archaeological site that some archaeologists suggest to be ancient Jerusalem of the pre-Babylonian exile era. It is located beneath the neighborhood of Wadi Hilweh (Arabic: وادي حلوه), to the east of modern Jerusalem. The area is one of the most intensively excavated sites in the wider region. The debate within biblical archaeology over the location of the City of David began in the late 19th century with the excavations of Charles Warren and Hermann Guthe on the hill southeast of the Old City . The 1909-11 work of Louis-Hugues Vincent and Montagu Brownlow Parker identified the earliest known human remains in the Jerusalem region, suggesting the area was an ancient core of settlement in Jerusalem dating back to the Bronze Age . It is on a narrow ridge running south from the Temple Mount in the predominantly Arab neighborhood of Silwan in East Jerusalem . It is thought to have been a walled city in the Bronze Age which enjoyed the defensive advantages of its position by the Tyropoeon Valley to its west, by the Hinnom valley to the south, and the Kidron Valley on the east. In the ancient pre-Israelite period, the area is thought to have been separated from the site of the later Temple Mount by the Ophel , an uninhabited area which became the seat of government under Israelite rule. During the reign of Hezekiah , the walls of the city were expanded westward, enclosing a previously unwalled suburb in the area now known as the Old City of Jerusalem , west of the Temple Mount. The area is highly controversial in the context of the Israeli Palestinian conflict . The City is located around and below Silwan, a predominantly Arab neighborhood of Jerusalem that has some Jewish residents. Within the City of David itself, Jews now form the majority of the population. In October 2014, Uri Ariel , former Israeli Minister of Housing and Construction , caused controversy when he suggested he was "considering taking up residence" in the area. Jerusalem Light at the End of the Tunnel: Warren's Shaft Theory of David's Conquest Shattered , Ronny Reich and Eli Shukron, BAR January/February 1999: 22-33, 72, quote: "The area we are talking about – the eastern slope of the City of David and particularly the strip above the Gihon Spring – has been subject to more archaeological excavations and research than any site in Jerusalem, and even in Israel." Excavations in the City of David Under Ottoman Rule , quote: "Warren and Guthe's discoveries triggered the discussion on whether it was this very hill, on the southern outskirts of the Old City of Jerusalem, which was taken by King David and turned into his capital." Palestine Exploration Fund 1895 , including a number of scholarly discussions on the debate around the location Excavations in the City of David Under Ottoman Rule , quote: "One of the peculiar outcomes of this "dig" was that the ancient graves discovered on the upper part of the slope and correctly dated by Vincent to the Early Bronze period, are still the most ancient remains known, not only on the southeastern hill but in all of Jerusalem. Hillel Geva, 'Western Jerusalem at the End of the First Temple Period in Light of the Excavations in the Jewish Quarters,' in Andrew G. Aviad Glickman, 'Silwan man who stoned Jewish vehicle gets 4 years,' at Ynet 27 Dec 2011. "Towards an Inclusive Archaeology in Jerusalem: The Case of Silwan/The City of David." Public Archaeology 8.1 (2009): 36 Housing minister said to be mulling move to east Jerusalem , 26 October 2014. Quote: "Ariel's move, announced against the backdrop of growing tensions between Jews and Arabs in Jerusalem, evoked scathing criticism from the Left. "This is an irresponsible act by Minister Uri Ariel, who rather than try and curb the [Right's] provocations in Jerusalem, had decided to join the band of pyromaniacs eager to light up the powder keg and set Jerusalem on fire," Meretz leader MK Zehava Gal-On said Saturday. Peace Now director Yariv Oppenheimer said, "Minister Ariel's intent to move into Silwan proves that the Jewish settlement in the neighborhood serves as political provocation by the radical Right -- not a housing solution for young couples. Ariel proved himself to be the [Balad MK] Hanin Zoabi of the Right, all he wants to do is act defiantly and ignite the area."

Archaeological site thought to constitute the core settlement of ancient Jerusalem For the modern neighborhood, part of the Palestinian Arab village of Silwan, see City of David (Silwan) . The City of David ( ), known locally mostly as Wadi Hilweh ( ), is the name given to an archaeological site considered by most scholars to be the original settlement core of Jerusalem during the Bronze and Iron Ages . It is situated on southern part of the eastern ridge of ancient Jerusalem , west of the Kidron Valley and east of the Tyropoeon valley , to the immediate south of the Temple Mount . The City of David is an important site of biblical archeology . Remains of a defensive network dating back to the Middle Bronze Age were found around the Gihon Spring ; they continued to remain in use throughout subsequent periods. Two monumental Iron Age structures, known as the Large Stone Structure and the Stepped Stone Structure , were discovered at the site. Scholars debate if these may be identified with David or date to a later period. The site is also home to the Siloam Tunnel which according to a common hypothesis, was built by Hezekiah during the late 8th century BCE in preparation for an Assyrian siege . However, recent excavations at the site suggested an earlier origin in the late 9th or early 8th century BCE. Remains from the early Roman period include the Pool of Siloam and the Stepped Street , which stretched from the pool to the Temple Mount. The excavated parts of the archeological site are today part of the Jerusalem Walls National Park . The site is managed by the Israel Nature and Parks Authority and operated by the Ir David Foundation . It is located in Wadi Hilweh , an extension of the Palestinian neighborhood of Silwan , East Jerusalem , intertwined with an Israeli settlement . Known to archaeologists and Biblical scholars as the site of the City of David, the western slope of the Kidron valley is referred to locally by a variety of aliases, and among them "Wadi Hilwe" (in English, "Beautiful Valley") seems to prevail. T., & De Groot, A. "The Iron Age extramural occupation at the City of David and additional observations on the Siloam Channel." Excavation at the City of David , 1985. "The Excavations at the Gihon Spring and Warren's Shaft System in the City of David." Ancient Jerusalem Revealed . Here, the material remains of the past have become completely absorbed in the discourse of political power, as both the Israeli national project of unifying Jerusalem and the settler project of breaking Palestinian Jerusalem apart have joined to disenfranchise the people living above and among the antiquities. The archaeology practiced here is completely subsumed to political and corporate motivations that are, however, largely unacknowledged by its "neutral" practitioners, leading to questionable field practice and overtly skewed interpretations of the past. Instead of going into detail about the issues of excavation and interpretation, which I have discussed at length elsewhere (Greenberg 2008, 2009), I would like to consider if there is any way out of the predicament that is, if there is a way to conduct archaeology ethically in Silwan." There are <ref group=lower-alpha> tags or templates on this page, but the references will not show without a template or template (see the help page ).

Archaeological site in Jerusalem For the modern neighborhood, part of the Palestinian Arab village of Silwan, see City of David (Silwan) . The City of David ( Hebrew : עיר דוד , romanized : ʿĪr Davīd ), known locally mostly as Wadi Hilweh ( Arabic : وادي حلوة , romanized : Wādī Ḥulwah ), is the name given to an archaeological site considered by most scholars to be the original settlement core of Jerusalem during the Bronze and Iron Ages . It is situated on southern part of the eastern ridge of ancient Jerusalem, west of the Kidron Valley and east of the Tyropoeon Valley , to the immediate south of the Temple Mount . The City of David is an important site of biblical archeology . Remains of a defensive network dating back to the Middle Bronze Age were found around the Gihon Spring ; they continued to remain in use throughout subsequent periods. Two monumental Iron Age structures, known as the Large Stone Structure and the Stepped Stone Structure , were discovered at the site. Scholars debate if these may be identified with David or date to a later period. The site is also home to the Siloam Tunnel , which, according to a common hypothesis, was built by Hezekiah during the late 8th century BCE in preparation for an Assyrian siege . However, recent excavations at the site suggested an earlier origin in the late 9th or early 8th century BCE. Remains from the early Roman period include the Pool of Siloam and the Stepped Street , which stretched from the pool to the Temple Mount. The excavated parts of the archeological site are today part of the Jerusalem Walls National Park . The site is managed by the Israel Nature and Parks Authority and operated by the Ir David Foundation . It is located in Wadi Hilweh , an extension of the Palestinian neighborhood of Silwan , East Jerusalem , intertwined with an Israeli settlement . Known to archaeologists and Biblical scholars as the site of the City of David, the western slope of the Kidron valley is referred to locally by a variety of aliases, and among them "Wadi Hilwe" (in English, "Beautiful Valley") seems to prevail. T., & De Groot, A. "The Iron Age extramural occupation at the City of David and additional observations on the Siloam Channel." Excavation at the City of David , 1985. "The Excavations at the Gihon Spring and Warren's Shaft System in the City of David." Ancient Jerusalem Revealed . "Jerusalem, City of David [stepped street dig, July 2013 - end 2014], Preliminary Report (21/08/2016)" . Here, the material remains of the past have become completely absorbed in the discourse of political power, as both the Israeli national project of unifying Jerusalem and the settler project of breaking Palestinian Jerusalem apart have joined to disenfranchise the people living above and among the antiquities. The archaeology practiced here is completely subsumed to political and corporate motivations that are, however, largely unacknowledged by its "neutral" practitioners, leading to questionable field practice and overtly skewed interpretations of the past. Instead of going into detail about the issues of excavation and interpretation, which I have discussed at length elsewhere (Greenberg 2008, 2009), I would like to consider if there is any way out of the predicament that is, if there is a way to conduct archaeology ethically in Silwan." There are <ref group=lower-alpha> tags or templates on this page, but the references will not show without a template or template (see the help page ).