- Breakthrough study reveals true origins of ancient Jerusalem wall
- Wall initially attributed to Hezekiah, but carbon dating proves otherwise
- Findings redefine Jerusalem’s expansion, dating back to ninth century
A scientific breakthrough has revealed the truth regarding an ancient Jerusalem site, disproving the judgment of experts and validating the account in the Bible.
Scholars had previously held the belief that a section of the wall situated in the city’s original core was constructed during the tenure of Hezekiah, King of Judah, which spanned the seventh and eighth centuries BC.
Having witnessed the destruction of his northern neighbor, the Kingdom of Israel, at the hands of the Assyrian Empire, it was believed that he had constructed the wall as a defensive measure against the invaders.
Contrary to biblical accounts, an almost decade-long investigation has now disclosed that it was constructed by his great-grandfather, Uzziah, in the aftermath of a massive earthquake.
The wall is located in the City of David, the biblically significant archaeological site that once comprised the city of Jerusalem.
According to Joe Uziel of the Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA), this wall was attributed to Hezekiah, the monarch of Judah, for several decades.
However, it is increasingly evident that its origins can be traced back to the reign of King Uzziah, as suggested in the Bible.
Many scholars previously held the belief that Hezekiah constructed the wall as a defensive structure for Jerusalem against the Assyrian siege, during his rebellion against King Sennacherib.
“It is now evident that the eastern portion of the wall, in the vicinity of the City of David, was constructed earlier, as part of the city’s construction and shortly after the great earthquake of Jerusalem.”
The construction is described in the Old Testament’s Second Book of Chronicles.
The passage states, “Uzziah constructed and fortified towers at the Valley Gate, Corner Gate, and wall angle in Jerusalem.”
Scripture further provides evidence of the seismic activity, as the Old Testament Book of Amos is dated to a time “two years prior to the earthquake, during the reign of Uzziah king of Judah.”
Using carbon-14 dating, the study, a collaboration between the IAA, Tel Aviv University, and the Weizmann Institute of Science, determined the age of the ancient wall.
This method, alternatively referred to as radiocarbon dating, employs the decomposition of a radioactive carbon isotope (14C) to ascertain the time and date of carbon-containing objects.
As per the IAA, this era was previously regarded as a “black hole” for carbon-14 dating on account of the isotope’s volatile concentrations in the atmosphere.
However, by analyzing ancient tree rings discovered in Europe, researchers were able to delineate the yearly variations in question.
According to Elisabetta Boaretto of the Weizmann Institute, the resolution of c-14 was abysmal, spanning two hundred to three hundred years; differentiation was unthinkable.
“As a result of our efforts in the City of David, we were able to reach a resolution in less than ten years, which is truly unprecedented and revolutionary.”
Samples of organic matter were collected by the scientists from excavation sites containing four distinct locations in the ancient core of Jerusalem, which is also referred to as the City of David.
Grape crumbs, date pits, and bat skeletons were among these.
Carbon-14 was extracted from other organic matter by subjecting each particle to a particle accelerator operating at 3,000 kilometers per second after it had been purified and transformed into graphite.
Afterward, the carbon measurement unveiled the true age of the sample.
According to Yuval Gadot of Tel Aviv University, the approach had additionally delayed the city’s westward expansion by five generations.
“Up until now, the majority of scholars have attributed Jerusalem’s westward expansion to the reign of King Hezekiah, which occurred approximately 2,700 years ago,” he said.
Thus far, it has been widely accepted that the city’s growth was precipitated by the influx of migrants from the northern Kingdom of Israel, which had accompanied the Assyrian exile.
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The latest discoveries, nevertheless, bolster the argument that Jerusalem expanded its boundaries towards Mount Zion and underwent growth as early as the ninth century BC.
“A century prior to the Assyrian exile, this occurred during the reign of King Jehoash.”
Given the circumstances, the latest research posits that the development of Jerusalem can be attributed to demographic expansion within Judaism as well as the establishment of political and economic structures.
Furthermore, it demonstrates that the city during the administrations of David and Solomon was considerably larger than previously believed.
According to Dr. Uziel, the investigation into the city during the reigns of David and Solomon in the 10th century BC has revealed that it was inhabited in various regions and was potentially more expansive than previously believed.
It is possible to establish connections between particular structures and specific monarchs referenced in the biblical text.
Until 587 BC, when the Babylonians besieged and destroyed Jerusalem, the capital of Judah, and Solomon’s Temple – also known as the First Temple – the kingdom of Judah endured.
