ARCHAEOLOGICAL

3000 YEAR-OLD WALL FROM THE REIGN OF KING SOLOMON UNCOVERED IN JERUSALEM

Jerusalem, Israel - Ancient stone fortifications recently uncovered near Jerusalem's Old City date back some 3,000 years, to the time of King Solomon's reign.

The finding seems to indicate that Jerusalem was home to a strong central government in the 10th century BC, that had the resources and manpower needed to build such massive fortifications.

"It's the most significant construction we have from First Temple days in Israel," said Dr. Eilat Mazar, the dig's director. "And it means that at that time, the 10th century, in Jerusalem there was a regime capable of carrying out such [high-level] construction."

The section of the city wall revealed, which is 70 meters long and six meters high, is located between the City of David and the southern wall of the Temple Mount. The gatehouse of the wall complex is built in a style typical of the First Temple period. A large, adjacent tower, which has not yet been excavated, also stood at the site and served as a watchtower to protect entry to the city.

According to Dr. Mazar, this represents the first discovery that physically attests to the extent of Solomon's building as described in the Bible. In particular, she referred to 1 Kings 3:1, which reads: "He [Solomon] took Pharaoh's daughter and brought her into the city of David until he had finished building his own house and the house of the Lord and the wall around Jerusalem."