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