Israel Finkelstein on Jerusalem Archaeology

ARCHAEOLOGIST ISRAEL FINKELSTEIN has an article on the archaeology of Jerusalem in The Forward:

In the Eye of Jerusalem’s Archaeological Storm
The City of David, Beyond the Politics and Propaganda

By Israel Finkelstein
Published April 26, 2011, issue of May 06, 2011.

Archaeological activity in Jerusalem has been sucked into a whirlwind of conflicting political agendas, and the site commonly referred to as “the City of David” is in the eye of the storm. At issue is a place of seminal importance for the Jewish people and indeed for anyone who cherishes the heritage of Western civilization.

When dealing with archaeology in Jerusalem, one must first know the facts. Otherwise it is easy to be led astray by unfounded historical interpretations or to succumb to misinformation from those pursuing their own political agendas.

[...]

All of it is interesting and I'm not going to try to excerpt it further. Just go and read it all.