A pure heart, believing the Bible would tell this archaeologist where King David's palace was - lead Mrs. Eliat Mazar ( 50, one of the world's leading authorities on the archaeology of ancient Jerusalem and head archaeologist of the Shalem Center Institute of Archaeology) to the hidden Palace of David.Some biblical scholars gave up looking for the palace of King David because, according to Mrs. Eliat Mazar, they were looking in the wrong place. When no evidence of such a majestic palace as the Bible describes was found there, the next step was to claim that David's monarchy never really existed. In the Bible, when the Philistines heard that David had been anointed, they went on the attack to apprehend him. The Bible says that David heard about it and "descended to the fortress," (2-Samuel 5:17), implying that he went down from his palace, which was higher up on the mountain than the citadel/city.
Eliat Mazar looked to the Scriptures to see where to begin looking for the palace of David.
“Still, I am a Jew and an Israeli, and I feel great joy when the details on the ground match the descriptions in the Bible. Today it's become fashionable to say there was no David, no Solomon, no Temple, no prophets. But suddenly the facts on the ground are speaking, and those outspoken voices are stammering."
What most amazed Mazar was how close the building is to the surface -- just one to two meters underground. "I was shocked at how easy it was to uncover it, and how well-preserved it was, as if it were just waiting 3,000 years for us to find it."
There is another implication from the palace being placed on top of the citadel wall. David’s palace was not in the safest place in the city. But being on top of the wall looking down upon the lower part of the city gave him a view. Part of the fortifications of the citadel, next to which King David built his palace. (2 Samuel 5:9, 2 Samuel 5:11) It was in this same palace that, "David got up from his bed and walked around on the roof of the palace. From the roof he saw a woman bathing. The woman was very beautiful... [and her name was] Bathsheba..." (2 Samuel 11:2, NIV)
Psalm 51
1 Have mercy on me, O God,
according to your unfailing love;
according to your great compassion
blot out my transgressions.
2 Wash away all my iniquity
and cleanse me from my sin.
3 For I know my transgressions,
and my sin is always before me.
4 Against you, you only, have I sinned
and done what is evil in your sight;
so you are right in your verdict
and justified when you judge.
5 Surely I was sinful at birth,
sinful from the time my mother conceived me.
6 Yet you desired faithfulness even in the womb;
you taught me wisdom in that secret place.
7 Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean;
wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.
8 Let me hear joy and gladness;
let the bones you have crushed rejoice.
9 Hide your face from my sins
and blot out all my iniquity.
10 Create in me a pure heart, O God,
and renew a steadfast spirit within me.
11 Do not cast me from your presence
or take your Holy Spirit from me.
12 Restore to me the joy of your salvation
and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.
13 Then I will teach transgressors your ways,
and sinners will turn back to you.
14 Deliver me from bloodguilt, O God,
you who are God my Savior,
and my tongue will sing of your righteousness.
15 Open my lips, Lord,
and my mouth will declare your praise.
16 You do not delight in sacrifice, or I would bring it;
you do not take pleasure in burnt offerings.
17 My sacrifice, O God, is a broken spirit;
a broken and contrite heart
you, God, will not despise.
18 May it please you to prosper Zion,
to build up the walls of Jerusalem.
19 Then you will delight in the sacrifices of the righteous,
in burnt offerings offered whole;
then bulls will be offered on your altar.
Psalm 51 written by David. When the prophet Nathan came to him after David had committed adultery with Bathsheba.
The current update of the archaeological dig at the site is: Mazar, E. 2007. The Excavations in the City of David 2005: The Visitor’s Center. Preliminary Report ~
It has not been published yet, but soon will be. More of her finds during the 2005 dig will be published. For more published finds please see http://www.leaderu.com/theology/palacedavid.html
~ Jerusalem Christian Review.
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