Abstract
Remains of two monumental structures have recently been unearthed on the ridge of the British Mandatory Government House on the southern outskirts of Jerusalem – Mordot Arnona and Armon HaNatziv. Here I suggest my interpretation of the nature and date of the sites – different from the ones given by the excavators. In the case of Mordot Arnona, I propose a contrasting order of construction periods and in the case of Armon HaNatziv a divergent location for the original building and an alternative interpretation for the circumstances of its demise. I suggest that the two buildings were constructed in the first half of the 7th century BCE, the days of King Manasseh, and that they were dismantled and buried in the late 7th century, possibly in relation to actions taken by King Josiah (2 Kings 23). I also propose a somewhat similar history for Ramat Rahel.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 225-242 |
Number of pages | 18 |
Journal | Revue Biblique |
Volume | 130 |
Issue number | 2 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - 2023 |
Externally published | Yes |
Keywords
- Amon HaNatziv
- Jerusalem
- Josiah
- Josiah’s reform
- King Manasseh
- Late monarchic Judah
- Mordot Arnona
- Ramat Rahel