[Avodah] David Melech Yisrael Chai veKayam!

[Micha Berger]

Prof Yosef Garfinkel who holds Hebrew U's (HUJI's) Yigael Yadin Chair in
Archaeology of Israel published in the Jerusalem Journal of Archaeology
(also HUJI, but peer reviewed) about the size of the Kingdom of Judah
in the 10th cent CE.

Meaning, the United Kingdom of David was certainly bigger than the
minimalists have been claiming, and it really was expanded by Rechav'am
just as the Tanakh says.

https://www.jns.org/archeology/judea-and-samaria/23/6/26/297934

I have to admit though, I am pretty skeptical about the whole field of
Biblical Archeology. It seems to me that you can make a strong prediction
about the findings of a dig by checking the pre-existing religious beliefs
of the archeologist leading it. I did this once looking through a number
of digs of Yericho.

Tir'u baTov!
-Micha

--

JNS

Kingdom of Judah expanded earlier than thought, new study finds

Hebrew University study shows that the kingdom began expanding south of
Jerusalem as early as the 10th century BCE.

(June 26, 2023 / JNS)

According to a study by researchers at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem,
the Kingdom of Judah expanded earlier than was previously believed by
archaeologists, confirming biblical accounts.
...
In the study, Garfinkel examines five sites in particular--Khirbet
Qeiyafa, Beth Shemesh, Tell en-Nas-.beh, Khirbet ed-Dawwara and Lachish.
Aerial view of the casemate city wall of Khirbet Qeiyafa. Photo by
Skyview.

Garfinkel's findings support the claim that the kingdom began expanding
into the Shephelah region southwest of Jerusalem, a transitional area
of rolling hills between the coastal plain to the west and the Judean
Mountains to the east, as early as the 10th century BCE.

That contradicts previous beliefs that the expansion occurred in the late
9th or 8th century BCE, 200 to 300 years after the reign of King David.

Garfinkel explained, "The evidence was known before, it is not a matter
of new discoveries. What was needed was someone to come along and observe
the complete picture that these findings portray. I am glad that I was
able to fulfill that role."

The excavations that formed the basis of these conclusions were conducted
by Saar Ganor from the Israel Antiquities Authority and Professor Michael
Hazel from Southern Adventist University in Tennessee.

Radiometric dating confirms that Khirbet Qeiyafa and Beth Shemesh date
from the first quarter of the 10th century BCE, which is when it is
believed that David ruled from the Judean capital of Jerusalem as the
third king of the United Kingdom of Israel.

In the Bible, the southern Shephelah expansion occurred during the time of
David's grandson and Solomon's son and successor Rehoboam, who according
to biblical accounts was the first monarch of the Kingdom of Judah after
the split of the United Kingdom of Israel. A map presenting the gradual
development of the urban area in the Kingdom of Judah. By J. Rosenberg.

All of the cities studied were fortified with a casemate city wall,
located on the kingdom's border and on a main road leading into the
kingdom, indicating that the Kingdom of Judah was strong at the time,
with the ability to build well-fortified cities at its borders protecting
the main roads leading into the capital, Jerusalem.

"The discovery of a barrier wall in this area effectively defines the
boundaries of the urban core of the Kingdom of David, putting an end
to the longstanding historical debate surrounding the existence of the
kingdom and its borders," said Garfinkel.

"This finding provides tangible evidence on the ground, dated to the
relevant period, supporting the biblical accounts of King Rehoboam's
expansion and fortification as described in the Book of Chronicles. It
is a rare instance where we can present empirical historical and
archaeological evidence aligning with biblical narratives from the 10th
century B.C."