The director of the Armon HaNatziv excavation, Yaakov Billig, with two of the large capitals discovered at the site.
Yoli Shwartz, Israel Antiquities Authority
Archaeologists working at Armon HaNatziv (southeastern Jerusalem) have released an exciting new First Temple period discovery to the public—a trove of ornately carved architectural elements from a royal building dating to the seventh century b.c.e. The trove includes several dozen stone pieces, including the best-preserved proto-Aeolic capitals and “items from lavish window frames,” including balustrades of ornate columns, pointing to the palatial nature of the site.
Armon HaNatziv is a promenade area overlooking the City of David from the south. The location (whose modern name means “Commissioner’s Palace”) was built up by the British Mandatory administration a century ago. And it seems they had the same idea as the early royal Judahite administration, who built a palatial promenade structure here some 2,600 years earlier.
The excavation team, directed by Israel Antiquities Authority archaeologist Yaakov Billig, dates the construction of the structure to the seventh century b.c.e.—some time following the Assyrian siege during the days of King Hezekiah. Together with the recent discovery of a nearby, seventh-century Hezekiah-era administration storehouse in the neighborhood of Arnona, and another parallel palatial structure at nearby Ramat Rachel, the excavators attribute the construction of this royal promenade building as part of a wider “exit from the walls.” As the threat of foreign siege ended, a renewed building program began in the seventh century, with royal administration buildings, storehouses, and grand palatial buildings suddenly emerging outside of Jerusalem’s walls.
The Bible describes just such a national “rejuvenation,” following this Assyrian siege of Jerusalem:
And Hezekiah had exceeding much riches and honour; and he provided him treasuries for silver, and for gold, and for precious stones, and for spices, and for shields, and for all manner of goodly vessels; store-houses also for the increase of corn, and wine, and oil; and stalls for all manner of beasts, and flocks in folds. Moreover he provided him cities, and possessions of flocks and herds in abundance; for God had given him very much substance. (2 Chronicles 32:27-29)
The most notable discoveries made at the Armon HaNatziv site are the proto-Aeolic capitals. The term “proto-Aeolic” refers to a particular style of capital—the stylized uppermost part of a column. It is highly decorative and makes the pillar more stable. Proto-Aeolic capitals are famous architectural features from First Temple period Israel, featuring two palm volutes (the palm is a common motif in ancient Israel, featured most notably in the temple). Dozens have been found around the country, dating across the spectrum within the First Temple period. Today, they can be seen depicted on the five-shekel coin.
Earlier this summer, we published an article about the “finest proto-Aeolic capital” ever discovered—from Kathleen Kenyon’s 1963 excavations. Yet the immaculate preservation of these newly-discovered capitals far exceeds this example. Of the three large capitals discovered at the site, two of them were found to have been deliberately buried, one carefully placed atop the other, before the rest of the palatial building was destroyed as part of the sixth century Babylonian conquest. “This is one of the mysteries at this unique site, to which we will try to offer a solution,” noted Billig. Perhaps the royal owner of the site—a nobleman, or maybe even the King of Judah himself—had wanted to ensure that the building’s finery was preserved for the prophesied Jewish Return (Jeremiah 29:10).
Together with the three large capitals, miniature proto-Aeolic “capitals” were discovered at the site (the first time such a discovery has been made). These fantastic little carved items served as the caps of balustrade columns. Billig noted about these artifacts:
This is a very exciting discovery. This is a first-time discovery of scaled-down models of the giant proto-Aeolian capitals, of the kind found thus far in the Kingdoms of Judah and Israel, where they were incorporated above the royal palace gates. The level of workmanship on these capitals is the best seen to date, and the degree of preservation of the items is rare.
This combination of large proto-Aeolic capitals with matching miniature balustrades, as part of a Jerusalemite palace, was somewhat “prophetically” depicted several years ago in the below painting of David’s palace in Jerusalem, by Balage Balogh:
The Armon HaNatziv finds were released to the public Thursday as part of a festive event in the City of David. The Armon HaNatziv excavation had been funded by the City of David’s Elad Foundation, led by David Be’eri, as well as the Ministry of Tourism and the Jerusalem Municipality. The Minister of Culture and Sport, Hili Tropper (who attended the event), noted the importance of the discovery:
I am happy and excited with the revelation of the remains from the period of the Kings of Judah. The uncovering of the remains of the building reflects the glorious roots of the Jewish people and our rich past here in the capital city Jerusalem. I see great importance in the work of the Israel Antiquities Authority and in the work of the City of David in their discoveries over the years, which reveal parts of the illustrious Jewish past. This is an opportunity to thank the Ir David Foundation (Elad) that funded this important excavation. The past is the cornerstone of a nation, and the cornerstone of culture, and its discovery also affects the present as well as the future.
Many people are aware of the atrocities committed by Germany in World War II but would consider them ancient history. These people are completely unaware of the legacy which Adolf Hitler drew upon in creating his Nazi war machine. His was merely the latest resurrection of a war-making empire with a long and bloody history. Did you know that the Bible prophesied of his regime-as well as the terrible emergence of one last resurrection in our day?
A powerful and genuine example of peace was given to this world for a tiny period of time. (Was it prophesied in your Bible?) When you see how people reacted to it, you can understand why we have no real peace in this evil world. Nevertheless, we are about to have world peace in spite of man and his human nature.
What has happened in former Yugoslavia over the past several years reaches far beyond the boundaries of that region. It is so shocking that the nations of this world would be paralyzed with fear if they truly understood! Shamefully, America is its chief architect.
The Prophet Daniel wrote about a future confrontation between the king of the north and the king of the south. We are now in the time when these two major powers are quickly rising! The king of the south is stirring up trouble even today. It is critical that you know the identity of this prophesied power!
People of the Western world would be stunned—dumbfounded—if they knew! The governments of the United States, Britain, Canada, Australasia, South Africa would set in motion gigantic crash programs—if they knew! They could know! But they don’t! Why?
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European leaders aim to unite the fractured continent of Europe by reviving the legacy of this extraordinary church-state combine. One of the great lessons of this empire
is that it always comes back. There is always another resurrection.
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Jerusalem means “city of peace,” and yet this city’s history has been filled with rivers of blood! No city has suffered like Jerusalem. It has known almost no peace. But there is very good news. God established Jerusalem to be a city of peace—and will one day make sure that it becomes so! It is actually the city from which God will rule the entire universe!
The next time you read about peace in the Middle East, consider the facts: For over 4,000 years, the Middle East as been fraught with cultural, political and religious violence. Much of this history is recorded in the history book almost no one relies on—the Bible. And what makes the Bible so unique, compared to other historical accounts, is that it recorded much of this history before it occurred!