Politics get mixed up with archaeology in dispute over Solomon's Silwan wallMazar, Israel Finkelstein, and Yoni Mizrachi weigh in.
The excavations near the Temple Mount's eastern wall in an area known as the Ophel continued on and off for decades.
By Nir Hasson Tags: Jerusalem Palestinians (Haaretz)
An archaeological site dedicated in Jerusalem this week consists of a section of an ancient wall built by King Solomon in the 10th century B.C.E., says the archaeologist who dug up the wall. Other archaeologists, however, disagree with the date and implications and object to what they call the political use of archaeology.
Dr. Eilat Mazar of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, who dug up the site, hopes opening it to the public will be a turning point in the debate about whether David and Solomon's Kingdom of Israel existed or not.
[...]
I'm not an archaeologist and don't really have a horse in this race. But if I were, I think my normal caution would keep me from saying a whole lot about Solomon until we find a royal inscription at the site which mentions him. Then again, I suppose that's the epigrapher in me talking.
(HT Joseph Lauer).
Background here.
