Jerozolima sprzed trzech tysięcy lat

Abstract

Since the mid XIX century Jerusalem has been the scene of intensive archaeological research. Special interest has been directed to the so-called David’s City near the Gihon Spring. The area was walled as early as the mid Bronze Age; the line of the walls was fixed by K. Kenyon. The hill with the original city was 25 m above the valley level. First the place was a Jebus fortress. It was not won by Joshua during his campaign and was eventually defeated by David circa 1000 BC (cf. 2 Sam 5,6-12; 1 Chr 11,4-6). The city, located in the borderland of Benjamin and Juda territories, was good enough to become the capital of the united Israeli tribes. In the XIX c., archaeologist C. W. Warren discovered a shaft, which might be dated back at the Jebusites times. David became famous not only because of winning new territories for Israel, but also as a great builder of Jerusalem. He had a palace and new city walls built. It was him to bring the Covenant Box to the City which made the place sacred. It was also him to decide a temple erigation but this plan was eventually realized by his son Solomon.