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