The Last Words of David & King David’s Kingdom Found?

Hands OutIf Moses’ song didn’t explain You, the other one and this one certainly does.

1. Judean city of Shaarayim
Judean city of Shaarayim
Archaeologists have unearthed a palace in what they believe is the fortified Judean city of Shaarayim, where the Bible states King David battled the giant Goliath.

The discovery of what is thought to be King David’s palace, measuring 1,000 square meters, was made by Hebrew University and the Israel Antiquities Authority.

Over the past seven years the teams have also uncovered a huge storehouse containing pots and artifacts that they believe proves the existence of a ruler in Judah in the tenth century B.C.

“The ruins are the best example to date of the uncovered fortress city of King David,” professors Yossi Garfinkel and Saar Ganor of Hebrew University said.

“This is indisputable proof of the existence of a central authority in Judah during the time of King David.”

“Now these be the last words of David. David the son of Jesse said, and the man who was raised up on high, the anointed of the God of Jacob, and the sweet psalmist of Israel, said,

The Spirit of the Lord spake by me, and his word was in my tongue.

The God of Israel said, the Rock of Israel spake to me, He that ruleth over men must be just, ruling in the fear of God.

And he shall be as the light of the morning, when the sun riseth, even a morning without clouds; as the tender grass springing out of the earth by clear shining after rain.

Although my house be not so with God; yet he hath made with me an everlasting covenant, ordered in all things, and sure: for this is all my salvation, and all my desire, although he make it not to grow.

But the sons of Belial shall be all of them as thorns thrust away, because they cannot be taken with hands:

But the man that shall touch them must be fenced with iron and the staff of a spear; and they shall be utterly burned with fire in the same place.

These be the names of the mighty men whom David had: The Tachmonite that sat in the seat, chief among the captains; the same was Adino the Eznite: he lift up his spear against eight hundred, whom he slew at one time.

And after him was Eleazar the son of Dodo the Ahohite, one of the three mighty men with David, when they defied the Philistines that were there gathered together to battle, and the men of Israel were gone away:

He arose, and smote the Philistines until his hand was weary, and his hand clave unto the sword: and the Lord wrought a great victory that day; and the people returned after him only to spoil.

And after him was Shammah the son of Agee the Hararite. And the Philistines were gathered together into a troop, where was a piece of ground full of lentiles: and the people fled from the Philistines.

But he stood in the midst of the ground, and defended it, and slew the Philistines: and the Lord wrought a great victory.

And three of the thirty chief went down, and came to David in the harvest time unto the cave of Adullam: and the troop of the Philistines pitched in the valley of Rephaim.

2. Shaarayim
Shaaravim
The biblical city of Shaarayim is thought to have become the modern city of Khirbet Qeiyafa, which is approximately 30 kilometres south west of Jerusalem.

The professors said that the ruins are the two largest known buildings to have existed at the time of King David in Jerusalem.

They added: “The southern part of a large palace that extended across an area of about 1,000 square meters was revealed at the top of the city.

The wall enclosing the palace is about 30 meters long and an impressive entrance is fixed through which one descended to the southern gate of the city, opposite the Valley of Elah.

Around the palace’s perimeter were rooms in which various installations were found – evidence of a metal industry, special pottery vessels and fragments of alabaster vessels that were imported from Egypt.”

The archaeologists collected hundreds of artifacts at the site, including religious objects, seals, pottery and tools typical of the time.

The palace is at the center of the site and is higher than the houses lower in the city.

The royal occupants would have had an excellent view of the land, stretching from the Mediterranean Sea in the west to the Hebron Mountains and Jerusalem in the east.

And David was then in an hold, and the garrison of the Philistines was then in Bethlehem.

3. Storeroom
The remains of what is thought to be a royal storeroom.
It was in this building the kingdom stored taxes it received in the form of agricultural produce collected from the residents of the different villages in the Judean Shephelah

“This is unequivocal evidence of a kingdom’s existence, which knew to establish administrative centers at strategic points,'”said Professors Garfinkel and Ganor.

“To date no palaces have been found that can clearly be ascribed to the early tenth century B.C. as we can do now.”

The Israel Antiquities Authority said it hoped that the new discoveries will lead to the site becoming a national park.

And David longed, and said, Oh that one would give me drink of the water of the well of Bethlehem, which is by the gate!

And the three mighty men brake through the host of the Philistines, and drew water out of the well of Bethlehem, that was by the gate, and took it, and brought it to David: nevertheless he would not drink thereof, but poured it out unto the Lord.

And he said, Be it far from me, O Lord, that I should do this: is not this the blood of the men that went in jeopardy of their lives? therefore he would not drink it. These things did these three mighty men.

And Abishai, the brother of Joab, the son of Zeruiah, was chief among three. And he lifted up his spear against three hundred, and slew them, and had the name among three.

Was he not most honorable of three? therefore he was their captain: howbeit he attained not unto the first three.

And Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, the son of a valiant man, of Kabzeel, who had done many acts, he slew two lionlike men of Moab: he went down also and slew a lion in the midst of a pit in time of snow:

And he slew an Egyptian, a goodly man: and the Egyptian had a spear in his hand; but he went down to him with a staff, and plucked the spear out of the Egyptian’s hand, and slew him with his own spear.

These things did Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, and had the name among three mighty men.

He was more honourable than the thirty, but he attained not to the first three. And David set him over his guard.

Asahel the brother of Joab was one of the thirty; Elhanan the son of Dodo of Bethlehem,

Shammah the Harodite, Elika the Harodite,

Helez the Paltite, Ira the son of Ikkesh the Tekoite,

Abiezer the Anethothite, Mebunnai the Hushathite,

Zalmon the Ahohite, Maharai the Netophathite,

Heleb the son of Baanah, a Netophathite, Ittai the son of Ribai out of Gibeah of the children of Benjamin,

Benaiah the Pirathonite, Hiddai of the brooks of Gaash,

Abialbon the Arbathite, Azmaveth the Barhumite,

Eliahba the Shaalbonite, of the sons of Jashen, Jonathan,

Shammah the Hararite, Ahiam the son of Sharar the Hararite,

Eliphelet the son of Ahasbai, the son of the Maachathite, Eliam the son of Ahithophel the Gilonite,

Hezrai the Carmelite, Paarai the Arbite,

Igal the son of Nathan of Zobah, Bani the Gadite,

Zelek the Ammonite, Nahari the Beerothite, armourbearer to Joab the son of Zeruiah,

Ira an Ithrite, Gareb an Ithrite,

Uriah the Hittite: thirty and seven in al”l  (2 Sam 23:1-39).

Israeli Archaeologist Believes
He’s Found a Biblical Site
Linked to King David

In the 2nd Book of Samuel, it is written that King David captured Jerusalem, then under Jebusite control, using a water shaft to penetrate the city’s defenses.

Now, an Israeli archaeologist believes he has uncovered the water tunnel as well as King David’s legendary citadel.

4. City of David archaeological site
Eli Shukron, an archeologist formerly with Israel’s Antiquities Authority, walks in the City of David archaeological site near Jerusalem’s Old City on May 1, 2014.

Shukron says that his dig uncovered a narrow shaft where water flowed and where those living in Jerusalem came to draw water.

The path of the tunnel led to the wall surrounding the city, the point where he believes David’s forces gained access to Jerusalem.

In his estimation no other structure in the area matches the citadel that David captured in his conquest.

Shukron’s dig, which began in 1995, uncovered a massive fortification of five-ton stones stacked 21 feet (6 meters) wide.

Pottery shards helped date the fortification walls to be 3,800 years old.

They are the largest walls found in the region from before the time of King Herod, the ambitious builder who expanded the Second Jewish Temple complex in Jerusalem almost 2,100 years ago.

The fortification – built 800 years before King David captured Jerusalem from the Jebusites – was believed to have protected the city’s access to water.

5. City of David archaeological site
Archaeologist Eli Shukron walks in the City of David archaeological site

Shukron said that his findings match clues in the biblical narrative about David’s conquest of the city from that particular location.  Shukron said,

“This is the citadel of King David, this is the Citadel of Zion, and this is what King David took from the Jebusites. The whole site we can compare to the Bible perfectly.”

But another archaeologist who used to work with Shukron said that more pottery shards from the era of King David’s reign during the 10th century B.C. should have been found at the site in order to place the find more definitively during that era.

“The connection between archaeology and the Bible has become very, very problematic in recent years,” archaeologist Ronny Reich said.

Shukron said he found two pottery pieces dating close to that time which he believes is due to the continuous use of the area and that old pottery pieces would have been cleared out in the interim years.

“I know every little thing in the City of David. I didn’t see in any other place such a huge fortification as this,” said Shukron.

6. Chisel
Archaeologist Eli Shukron believes this chisel was used during construction of the Second Temple.

Doron Spielman, vice president of the nonprofit Elad Foundation which oversees the archaeological park in the City of David said,“We open the Bible and we see how the archaeology and the Bible actually come together in this place.”

Shukron has been excavating in the City of David – which is located in east Jerusalem – for two decades.

While Israel views Jerusalem as a united city that is its capital, Palestinians claim east Jerusalem as their future capital.

Virtually all of the holy sites, including the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, the Western Wall and Temple Mount, are located in the Old City which is in the eastern part of the city.

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