| According to the Tanakh, there were two
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| | constructed in the time of King David and
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| locations called Jerusalem, one inhabited
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| | Solomon. Artifacts found within the
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| by the Amorites (Joshua 10:5), and the
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| | sanctuary of the citadel mostly spoke
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| other inhabited by the Jebusites (Joshua
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| | concerning offerings of oil, wine, wheat,
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| 15:63; Judges 1:21). One in the mountains
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| | and etc. brought to there by numerous
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| (Joshua 10:6) and the other surrounded by
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| | people from not just David and Solomon's
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| mountains (Psalm 125:2; Nehemiah 8:15).
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| | time but throughout the reign of the
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| One the Children of Israel conquered when
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| | kings of Judah til the kingdoms fall to
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| they entered the land of Israel (Judges
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| | Babylon. However, in the Persian,
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| 1:8) and the other was took by King David
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| | Maccabean, Roman, and early Mohammadean
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| some 300 years later (2 Samuel 5:7; 1
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| | eras locals continued to transport these
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| Chronicles 11:5). One in the mount of
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| | items to the sacred precinct of the upper
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| Ephraim (Genesis 33:18; Genesis 14:18;
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| | hill. Markers of this ancient Israelite
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| Joshua 18:1; Judges 4:5;) and the other
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| | service remain til this day from broken
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| just north of Rimmon which is in the
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| | pottery litered upon the entire site.
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| southern part of Judah (and the
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| | During the reign of the kings of Judah
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| inheritance of Simeon- Joshua 19:7-8)
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| | the citadel was periodically refortified,
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| (Zechariah 14:10; Joshua 15:21-32).
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| | remodeled and rebuilt upon one another a
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| Therefore, reasonably two questions come
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| | number of times, until ultimately it was
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| to mind: Which one is the modern city
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| | destroyed between 597 BCE and 577 BCE
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| Jerusalem that we all know? And where is
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| | whilst Jerusalem was under siege from the
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| the other Jerusalem?
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| | Babylonian Nebuchadnezzar. Among the most
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| Modern Jerusalem's name is well known to
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| | fascinating artifacts unearthed from this
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| mean Salem that was the place of King
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| | time are ostraca from the mid-7th century
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| Melechzedek, and was written to be in the
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| | BCE that refered to this citadel as the
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| mountain of Ephraim. Jerusalem is
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| | House of Yahweh.
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| located in some of the highest mountains
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| | Habitation of Tel Arad and the upper
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| in the region (on the top, not surrounded
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| | citadel did not end with the Babylonians.
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| by mountains) and is also just next to
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| | In fact, during the Persian period (5th -
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| Bethel. The mountains from the site of
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| | 4th centuries BCE) almost a hundred
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| Shechem, Bethel, and modern Jerusalem are
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| | ostracon and pottery were written in
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| all on the same mountain range that
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| | Aramaic and were mostly accounts of
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| streach from Shimron north to Har Hebron
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| | locals that brought oil, wine, wheat, and
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| south. Just considering the geographic
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| | etc to the upper hill.
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| clues I would conclude that Modern
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| | Thus, several citadels were built upon
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| Jerusalem is the Jerusalem of King
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| | one another and existed in the
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| Adoni-zedek the Amorite that Joshua
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| | Hellenistic and Roman periods. Herod even
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| fought against and chased to Makkedah
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| | reconstructed the lower city for the
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| (also not far from modern Jerusalem).
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| | purpose of making bread.
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| However, if this is the Amorite Jerusalem
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| | The Jewish historian Flavius Josephus in
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| then where is the Jebusite one? It was
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| | the first century wrote an almost perfect
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| this Jerusalem that David came to and
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| | geographic description that fits Tel Arad
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| took a fortress that was built there on
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| | and also gave a matching explaination of
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| mount Zion. And this place he set up his
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| | why the citadel dealt with so much food
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| own tabernacle to place the Ark within
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| | and supplies in pottery. As stated in the
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| the citadel. This place was a House of
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| | 'Wars of the Jews' 5:1: ".. The city was
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| Yahweh and the city of David fortified by
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| | built upon two hills which are opposite
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| Solomon and other kings of Judah (2
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| | to one another, and have a valley to
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| Samuel 5:9; 2 Chronicles 8:11; 1 Kings
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| | divide them asunder; at which valley the
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| 9:24; 1 Kings 11:27; 2 Chronicles 32:5),
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| | corresponding rows of houses on both
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| but wasn't the Temple built by Solomon on
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| | hills end. Of these hills, that which
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| Mount Moriah (2 Chronicles 3:1). Today
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| | contains the upper city is much higher,
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| there is only one place that has been
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| | and in length more direct. Accordingly,
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| found and proven to be a House of Yahweh
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| | it was called the "Citadel," by king
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| in Israel.
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| | David; he was the father of that Solomon
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| Tel Arad (Hebrew: ת×
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| | who built this temple at the first; but
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| ער×"â) (not to be confused
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| | it is by us called the "Upper
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| with biblical Arad) is located west of
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| | Market-place." But the other hill, which
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| the Dead Sea, about 10km west of modern
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| | was called "Acra," and sustains the lower
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| Arad in an area surrounded by mountain
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| | city, is of the shape of a moon when she
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| ridges which is known as the Arad Becken.
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| | is horned; over-against this was a third
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| The Arad area is north of the old and
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| | hill, but naturally lower than Acra, and
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| modern place of Mizpe Rimmon The site is
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| | parted formerly from the other by a broad
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| divided into a lower city and an upper
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| | valley."
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| hill which holds the only ever discovered
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| | The site lasted til the Romans destroyed
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| 'House of Yahweh' in the land of Israel.
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| | Jerusalem and completely expelled the
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| The House of Yahweh upon the hill of Tel
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| | 'circumcised' in 135 AD.
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| Arad even after over 40 years has sparked
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| | Archaeology has already substanciated
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| a number of questions with many trying to
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| | that Tel Arad existed and was inhabited
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| understand why the site has a sanctuary,
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| | at the time that Josephus would have
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| holy of holies that were built in time of
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| | wrote this. However, this description of
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| the two greatest kings of Judah. Why does
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| | the citadel of David could only be on
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| it have records of well known priestly
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| | mount Zion and only in Jerusalem. Yet,
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| families, and countless amounts of
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| | one fact that is rarely spoken of
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| offerings and pottery from the time of
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| | directly in the Tanakh is that there were
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| its establishment in King David's time to
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| | two Jerusalems.
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| the Roman and Islamic Empires. One
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| | With such clear cut differences between
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| conclusion many are beginning to come to
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| | the two Jerusalems the possibility that
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| is that this is the tabernacle of David
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| | the House of Yahweh at 'Tel Arad' is the
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| (1 Chronicles 6:32; Isaiah 16:5; Amos
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| | Citadel of David, the Arad Becken is the
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| 9:11), the hill of Zion, and area of the
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| | Jerusalem surrounded by mountains, and
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| Jerusalem of the Jebusites. And although
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| | not too far north from Mizpe Rimmon does
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| it might seem unbelievable the evidence
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| | not stray too far from logic.
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| behind the theory is beginning to have
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| | Nevertheless, time will tell whether
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| allot of weight.
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| | clear proof will come to the light on the
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| In the 11th century BCE (the time of
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| | issue.
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| Samuel, Saul and David), initially the
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| | For more developments on this I suggest
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| upper hill was an unwalled piece of land
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| | you search 'House of Yahweh' or 'Tel
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| cut off as an official or sacred domain,
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| | Arad' on Wikipedia and read these two
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| and then later as a garrison-town known
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| | pages Citadel History, Zion Search from
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| as 'The Citadel'.
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| | people presently on the site.
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| The citadel and sanctuary were
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|
