New Discovery in the Ancient "City of David"

My cousin Avraham, who lives in Jerusalem with his wife Malka, near their married daughters and grandchildren, sent me a story from the Jerusalem Post about a new discovery at the “City of David” archeological site, just outside the walls of the Old City of Jerusalem. Researchers working under Prof. Eilat Mazar found a completely intact seal impression belonging to Gedaliah son of Pashur, one of the ministers of King Zedekiah (597-586 BCE). It was found near another impression, discovered 3-years ago, of the seal of Yukhual son of Shelemiah, also one of Zedekiah’s ministers. Both ministers are mentioned in the book of Jeremiah as having demanded that prophet’s death for preaching surrender to the Babylonian army, which was then besieging the city (Jeremiah 38:1-4).

My seminary colleagues and I will be touring this archeological site as part of our educational adventure in Israel. It includes what may be the Biblical palace of King David, which was discovered by Prof. Mazar and her associates several years ago. Also in the area, according to the Jerusalem Post, are parts of a wall from the days of Nehemiah, Biblical governor of Judea under Persian rule.

These discoveries have strong political undertones as they are apparently located in a part of East Jerusalem, which was captured by Israel in the 1967 Six Day War. The research, which is being done under the “academic auspices” of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, is sponsored by the Shalem Center, a right-leaning Jerusalem research institute and the City of David Foundation, described by the Jerusalem Post as “right wing”. Reading between the lines, it appears that the sponsors are keen on documenting a Biblical history for the area, in support of the desire of many religious Israelis to retain control of the territory and not cede it to a Palestinian state in some future peace agreement.