Monumental Fortification That Protected The Kings Of Jerusalem Unearthed In The City Of David

Conny Waters - AncientPages.com - Archaeologists have uncovered a massive moat at the City of David in Jerusalem, measuring at least 9 meters deep and 30 meters wide.

Image credit: Israel Antiquities Authority

Who divided Jerusalem into two? A massive fortification discovered in the Givati Parking Lot excavations at the City of David in the Jerusalem Walls National Park solves a 150-year-old mystery.

Extensive quarrying created a massive moat separating the City of David from the Temple Mount and Ophel area. Its perpendicular cliffs made it impassable. Initially unclear, further excavations revealed its purpose as the northern fortification line of the lower city.

"It is not known when the moat was originally cut, but evidence suggests it was used during the centuries when Jerusalem was the capital of the Kingdom of Judah, almost 3,000 years ago, beginning with King Josiah."

Image credit: Israel Antiquities Authority

"During those years, the moat separated the southern residential part of the city from the ruling Acropolis in the north; the upper city where the palace and the temple were located,“ according to the excavation’s directors Prof. Yuval Gadot from the Department of Archeology and Ancient Near Eastern Cultures at Tel Aviv University and Dr. Yiftah Shalev from the Israel Antiquities Authority.

The moat's construction was a massive undertaking, altering the landscape to showcase the power of Jerusalem's rulers to those who appeared in its gates.

This action, requiring substantial engineering expertise and resources, highlighted the rulers' strength and capability. After 150 years of research, Jerusalem's northern fortification route has finally been discovered during the Givati Parking Lot excavations in the City of David. The Israel Antiquities Authority and Tel Aviv University are managing the project, with funding from the City of David Foundation.

Image credit: Israel Antiquities Authority

"Following the dramatic discovery, we reexamined the past excavations reports wrriten by the British archaeologist Kathleen Kenyon, who excavated in the City of David in the 1960s, in an area located slightly east of today's Givati Parking Lot,” said Prof. Yuval Gadot, Excavation Director from the Department of Archeology and Ancient Near Eastern Cultures at Tel Aviv University.

Kenyon discovered that the rock slopes north unnaturally, revealing a continuation of the moat carved westward. This uncovered section connects to form a deep, wide moat extending at least 70 meters from west to east.

"This is a dramatic discovery that opens up a renewed discussion about the terms from the biblical literature that refer to the topography of Jerusalem, such as the Ophel and the Millo". added Prof. Yuval Gadot.

Image credit: Israel Antiquities Authority

"The date the moat was cut is unknown," Dr. Yiftah Shalev, Excavation Director on behalf of the Israel Antiquities Authority, points out.

"Such significant construction plans and quarrying in Jerusalem are usually dated to the Middle Bronze Age - about 3,800 years ago (the beginning of the 2nd millennium BCE). If the moat was cut during this period, then it was intended to protect the city from the north - the only weak point of the City of David slope. Either way, we are confident that it was used at the time of the First Temple and the Kingdom of Judah (ninth century BCE), so it created a clear buffer between the residential city in the south, and the upper city in the north."

Ancient Jerusalem was built on top of a narrow and steep ridge, expanding over hills and valleys that divided it into distinct parts, making it difficult to move from one unit to the other.

Image credit: Israel Antiquities Authority

Therefore, it is not surprising that many of the royal construction enterprises in Jerusalem were connected with the need to reshape the topography.

For example, in the first book of Kings (11:27), an action of this type that King Solomon performed is mentioned: "Solomon built up the 'Millo' and closed up the breach of the City of David, his father.”

During the Iron Age, when the Bible was compiled, Jerusalem was divided into at least two distinct parts. This division persisted through the Persian and Hellenistic periods.

The City of David excavations continue to yield remarkable discoveries, illuminating biblical literature. Standing amid massive hewn walls at the excavation's base, one can't help but marvel at the ancient people who, 3, 800 years ago, moved mountains and hills to create these structures, according to Eli Escusido, Director of the Israel Antiquities Authority.

The results of the excavation will be presented at the City of David's "Jerusalem Studies Experience" Conference, taking place in early August.

Photos: Eliyahu Yanai, Eric Marmur and Meir Ganon, City of David.

Written by Conny Waters - AncientPages.com Staff Writer