Jerusalem's Lost Temple: The City of David Excavations

Episode 50 of The History of Jerusalem takes listeners underground into the City of David, the narrow ridge south of the Temple Mount where archaeology has reshaped our understanding of ancient Jerusalem. Lucas and Luna explore the controversial excavations that have uncovered massive stone structures, water systems, and artifacts from the time of King David and Solomon—and the fierce debates they've sparked. From the Stepped Stone Structure to Hezekiah's Tunnel and the Pool of Siloam, they trace how modern digs confirm or challenge biblical accounts. But they also confront the political dimensions of archaeology in contested Jerusalem: how a site sacred to Jews as the birthplace of their kingdom sits in the heart of the Palestinian neighborhood of Silwan, and how every artifact becomes a battleground in competing national narratives. Lucas walks through the evidence for a 10th-century BCE Jerusalem that was more than a hilltop village—the Large Stone Structure, the Bullae of royal officials, the Ophel inscription—while acknowledging critics who see overreach. Luna presses on what archaeology can and cannot prove about the united monarchy. The episode ends with a reflection on what it means to dig in a living city where the past is never neutral.

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