Palace of King David discovered

September 20, 2005

The discovery of the palace is very significant. While experts are studying and surveying it in an attempt to authenticate the identity of the site, Palestinian Arabs have been quick to describe it as an impossible find. According to Jerusalem Newswire, Professor Hani Nur El-Din, professor of archaeology at Al-Quds University, said that the Israelis “try to link whatever they find to the biblical narration” in their effort “to fit historical evidence into a biblical context.”

But despite the doubters, enthusiasm is rising. Mazar identified a large building, dating to the 10th century BC, amid excavations in what is now called the village of Silwan outside of Jerusalem’s Old City walls.

Mazar studied 2 Samuel 5:11: “Now Hiram king of Tyre sent messengers to David, along with cedar logs and carpenters and stonemasons, and they built a palace for David” (NIV).

Mazar believes that discovery of the palace was delayed because many experts said it would be found inside the city walls, in the best-protected part of the location.

However, this was not the case. She highlights 2 Samuel 5:17: “When the Philistines heard that David had been anointed king over Israel, they went up in full force to search for him, but David heard about it and went down to the stronghold” (NIV). The archaeologist concludes that David “went down” from his palace, down the slopes of the Ophel mountain, to the citadel. She believes the palace must have been located north of the city.

Jerusalem continued to grow in population. The nine-acre city soon became overcrowded. Mazar said the areas to the south, east, and west were fully built-up, so she reasoned that David built his new palace north of the walls of the Jebusite city.

Historian M. H. Leon notes that the Bible records valuable detail about the palace. He refers to 1 Chronicles 17:1 where it is described as “a house of cedars” (NKJV). Other verses in 2 Samuel and 1 Chronicles reveal it was constructed by Phoenician builders. They used the cedars of Lebanon in a developed and distinct style of stone masonry.

Mazar went to previous studies as well. In particular, she mentions Dr. Kathleen Kenyon, who discovered a wall from the fourth century. The foundations under this construction belonged to the Israelite period. Phoenician masons were employed. In 1980, the late Hebrew University archaeologist Professor Yigal Shiloh found several columns of the same style. His search was located close to the previous work of Kenyon.

Academics in Israel and elsewhere are renowned for dismissing the Bible as a source declaring the Word of God and regarding it as nothing more than a collection of fairy tales and myths. However, Jerusalem Newswire reports Gabriel Barklay, an archaeologist from Bar-Ilan University in Ramat Gan, as saying, “This is a very significant discovery, given that Jerusalem as the capital of the united kingdom is very much unknown.”

Meanwhile, Mazar is not relaxing in her quest for complete knowledge of the palace. She says there is no question that it was a “magnificent and impressive structure.” She adds, “Only by continuing to excavate will we be able to truly understand the extent and grandeur of King David’s royal house.”

By Ron Ross, Bridges for Peace, Israel Mosaic radio host.

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