Archaeologists Return to Excavate Near Temple Mount in Jerusalem

More surprises to come, says excavation director

Beginning August 22, 2012, a team of archaeologists, other specialists, and students from the Herbert W. Armstrong College in Edmond Oklahoma in the U.S. have returned to the site of the headline-making discoveries in the "Ophel" area near the Temple Mount in Jerusalem. The area contains structural features and artifacts bearing on thousands of years of human occupation.
The Ophel is the narrow promontory that straddles the southern edge of Jerusalem’s Temple Mount and Old City, and is thought to contain monumental remains extending from at least the time of the early Israelite and Judahite kings through the Byzantine and early Islamic periods.
Led by Dr. Eilat Mazar of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, the renewed excavations are focusing on the same area where recent excavations have uncovered not only finds dated to the Second Temple, Hellenistic, Roman, and Byzantine periods, but also what Mazar and others suggest may be the remains of structures attributed to builders during the period of King Solomon in the 10th century B.C. These remains included a section of a massive wall of large, well-dressed stones 70 meters long and 6 meters high. Also uncovered with the wall was a structure interpreted as an inner gatehouse, a royal structure adjacent to the gatehouse, and a section of a corner tower 8 meters long and 6 meters high, built of carved stones, all overlooking the Kidron Valley below. Associated with the complex, but as yet unexcavated by Mazar, were indications of a large tower that covered an area of about 24 by 18 meters. This was the large tower first discovered by British explorer Charles Warren in 1867, and now interpreted by Mazar as possibly a watchtower that guarded entrance to the city.

W]e can be surprised by the facts”, says Mazar, speaking of the current efforts. “[W]e are in the very heart of the Ophel—very heart of the acropolis, and what we should expect is royal construction ….”[1]

The project leadership reports that the renewed Ophel excavations are going to be "a direct continuation of what her team did in her first Ophel phase—near the water gate complex". [1]
“[W]e are in the very core of the Ophel—the most important part,” says Mazar. “The potential is fantastic.”[1]

Though the Ophel excavations have already shown promise for shedding new light on the Jerusalem of the 10th century and later centuries, the efforts do not go without scholarly controversy. Some prominent Israeli archaeologists, like Israel Finkelstein of Tel Aviv University, have disputed Mazar's interpretation of the finds, and some other critics have even suggested that some supporters and promoters of the Ophel excavation program have been influenced in their interpretation by a political and religious agenda within the context of the political dispute about Jerusalem.
Despite the controversy, however, the excavations, like those that began in 2010 at the same site, are expected to reveal finds that will further illuminate the historicity of an ancient monumental city that continues to lie at the center of the world's three largest religions.
Mazar has indicated that she now hopes to significantly shorten the time between discovery of the finds and their actual publication. In addition, the Armstrong College will be publishing updates of dig activities and events at an online site, The Key to David's City, soon after they occur, for public consumption. Over 20 representatives from the college are volunteering at the excavation site.
Some of the artifacts from previous excavations are now exhibited at the Armstrong College campus, including First Temple period artifacts such as the two Hebrew bullae* of Gedaliah and Jehucal, individuals noted in the writings of the prophet Jeremiah, and discovered during excavations at the site that has been suggested by Mazar to be the remains of the palace of King David.
More information about the ongoing Ophel excavations can be obtained by going to the website at The Key to David's City.
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[1] The Key to David's City, website http://www.keytodavidscity.com/
* a lump of clay molded around a cord and stamped with a seal. Once the clay has dried, the container (such as a vase or money bag) cannot be violated without visible damage to the bulla, thereby ensuring the contents remain tamper-proof until they reach their destination. (Wikipedia)
Cover Photo, Top Left: View of the excavated gate complex in the Ophel. Photo credit: Shmuel Browns


 http://popular-archaeology.com/issue/september-2012/article/archaeologists-return-to-excavate-near-temple-mount-in-jerusalem