An archaeologist has apparently discovered the palace of King David. See this account of the find, which confounds liberal scholars who had been casting doubt on David’s existence and which confirms Biblical details.
Archaeologists had previously discovered the remains of the walls around the ancient Jebusite fortress that David conquered and then made his capital. But the area inside was so small, with no trace or no room for any kind of palace. Thus, some scholars–a number of whom had a pro-Palestinian agenda that downplayed any Jewish claims to the city–said that King David was a legendary figure, at most a village chieftain rather than the ruler of a powerful kingdom. But then Jewish archaeologist Eilat Mazar noted that 2 Samuel 5, after talking about David taking the stronghold, building a city around it, and building his palace, said that when the Philistines came, he “went down” to the stronghold. Near where the stronghold was in Jerusalem is a hill. She dug there and discovered the foundations of a huge building, built on bedrock, which means that it was not over any other site. This apparently remained the residence of Judah’s kings up until the nation’s conquest and Babylonian captivity. On the site Dr. Mazar discovered a seal of “Yehuchal Ben Shelemiah,* who is apparently the “Jehucal the son of Shelemiah” who was the nemesis of the prophet Jeremiah just before the city fell (Jeremiah 37-38).
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Archaeology continues to validate the Biblical text and the enemies of God struggle and strain to prove that it’s a fluke or we’ve misinterpreted it. First they said there was no David. Then, lo and behold, they found a non-Judaic reference to the House of David. They said Sodom had never existed. Then there was found an account of trading with the king of Sodom. Now David’s stronghold has (maybe) been uncovered. I enjoy the discomfort of the unbelievers but I also keep in mind the truth that we need no proof for what we know by faith. That is the work of the Holy Spirit, not academia.
Terry
This would locate David’s palace between the City of David proper and the Temple Mount, which makes sense.
One thing I’m not sure about is the idea that Judah’s kings lived here until the Babylonian exile. I’m sure it remained as a royal possession, but surely the kings lived in the larger, newer palace that Solomon built directly adjacent to the Temple complex?