A Souvenir from the Kings of Yᵊhud•âhꞋ

Maariv Article (Hebrew)

English translation courtesy Yâeil Bën-Dâvid, © Yi•rᵊmᵊyâhꞋu Bën-Dâ•widꞋ, 2005.07.31

Kᵊphâr ha-Shi•loꞋakh, original name of Ir Dâ•widꞋ — Arabs expelled indigenous Jews in 1930s, Arabizing name to "Silwan."

An ancient seal more than 2,500 years old that was found in excavations in Kᵊphâr ha-Shi•loꞋakh (original name of Ir Dâ•widꞋ; see Yᵊsha•yâhꞋu 8.6 & Nᵊkhëm•yâhꞋ 3.15), and has been kept a secret up until now, is causing much excitement. ● The reason: the researchers believe that its finding strengthens the hypothesis that it is the Palace of the Kings of Yᵊhud•âhꞋ. ● Further discoveries raise questions regarding the true location of בְּרֵכַת הַשִׁלֹּחַ.

An important archeological discovery that was found in excavations conducted in Kᵊphâr ha-Shi•loꞋakh is causing much excitement among those involved in the excavations, and is being kept a secret. However, a Ma•a•rivꞋ reporter found out that the subject is a seal from B.C.E. 580, which bears the name of the man who was probably the minister in the Court of צִדְקִיָּה הַמֶלֶךְ.

The seal bears the name of יהוכל בן-שלמיהו בן-נובי. That same יהוכל appears by name, with the name of his father, twice in the book of Yi•rᵊmᵊyâhꞋu ha-Nâ•viꞋ: once as יְהוּכַל בֶּן-שֶׁלֶמְיָה ‭ ‬ (37.3) and once as יוּכַל בֶּן-שֶׁלֶמְיָהוּ ‭ ‬ (38.1), in the description of the turbulent time of צִדְקִיָּה הַמֶלֶךְ, the last מֶלֶךְ of Beit-Dâ•widꞋ, immediately before the destruction of the first בֵּית הַמִּקְדָּשׁ by the Babylonians (see Sidebox 1, below) [ca. B.C.E. 596-86, Yi•rᵊmᵊyâhꞋu Bën-Dâ•widꞋ, Chronology of the Tan"kh from the “Big Stretch-Apart”].

Ma•a•rivꞋ learned that the seal was found in the quiet excavation that has been going forth for a few months in the upper part of the Kᵊphâr ha-Shi•loꞋakh compound, in what many archeologists believe is the Palace of the Kings of Yᵊhud•âhꞋ. The place was identified by the late archeologist Yi•gᵊâlꞋ ShilꞋoh back in 1980, but for political and budget reasons has not been excavated until now. Excavations are being conducted now under the management of Dr. Eilat Mazar, the granddaughter of Prof. Benyamin Mazar, the renowned excavator of the KoꞋtël.

The street used to lead to the בֵּית הַמִּקְדָּשׁ

Shi•loꞋakh Inscription from Khi•zᵊq•i•yâhꞋ's Tunnel (Istanbul Museum, Turkey)

A few years ago, not far from the place the new discovery, the seal of גְּמַרְיָהוּ בֶּן-שָׁפָן who was also mentioned in the book of Yi•rᵊmᵊyâhꞋu ha-Nâ•viꞋ (36.10-12, 25), and who was the King’s High Pâ•qidꞋ in the reign of King Yᵊho•yâq•imꞋ, who preceded צִדְקִיָּה, was found. The presence in this area of seals of those who were apparently members of the Royal Court strengthens the conjecture that the excavations are being conducted in the Palace of the Kings of Yᵊhud•âhꞋ. The combination of two names that appear in the book of Yi•rᵊmᵊyâhꞋu ha-Nâ•viꞋ on these seals in adjacent places, gives a dimension of historical credibility to the description of this period in the Ta•na"khꞋ.

It should be mentioned that not far from there, the Shi•loꞋakh inscription was found in the more distant past (it is kept in the archeological museum in Istanbul) which also affirms what is written in the Ta•na"khꞋ concerning the digging of the tunnel of Khi•zᵊq•i•yâhꞋ in the obscurities of the Kᵊphâr ha-Shi•loꞋakh. In the circles involved in the joint excavations by the antiquities authority and the Elad association there is excitement and anticipation for further findings in the Palace of the Kings of Yᵊhud•âhꞋ and in the Tzi•yonꞋ Fortress.

בְּרֵכַת הַשִׁלֹּחַ — Not Where Everyone Thinks?

Karen with hand in traditional בְּרֵכַת הַשִׁלֹּחַ

Another discovery, not far from there, in the lower part of the mound, which also excites those involved in the excavations, might cause a dramatic shift in the identification of the בְּרֵכַת הַשִׁלֹּחַ. Until now, many have conjectured for over 1,500 years that the location of the בְּרֵכַת הַשִׁלֹּחַ, where the pilgrims purified themselves before they went up to the בֵּית הַמִּקְדָּשׁ, is the exit Khi•zᵊq•i•yâhꞋ's Tunnel. Since the בְּרֵכַת הַשִׁלֹּחַ was also the place of one of the miracles of healing of the sick by [RibꞋi Yᵊho•shuꞋa], it is also the site of pilgrimage for Christians. Relics of the pillars of a fifth century Byzantine church are still visible.

Recently, however, a much larger pool was uncovered not far from there containing chiseled stones from the days of the בֵּית הַמִּקְדָּשׁ. A row of wide and long stairs afforded easier entrance into the water. Rails and pillars bearing the name חוני, which was a name characteristic of the days of the second בֵּית הַמִּקְדָּשׁ, engraved on one of them. The wide pool is near a large garden that, according to the archeologists' hypothesis, has a continuation under the garden, and according to estimates, is a vary large pool. The pool was discovered when a tractor that was removing earth stumbled onto one of the chiseled stones, after which it was decided to stop the tractor’s work and dig carefully, manually, until the pool was uncovered.

Archeologists involved in the excavation have recently said that the identification of the large pool as the בְּרֵכַת הַשִׁלֹּחַ accords well with its function of receiving thousands and tens of thousands of pilgrims who wanted to purify themselves in it. This is contrary to vary narrow and limited place of what has been thought of, until now, as the location of בְּרֵכַת הַשִׁלֹּחַ, which couldn’t have contained this number of people.

To the amazement and to the joy of the excavators, another pool was found under this pool, and it was identified as belonging to the period of the first בֵּית הַמִּקְדָּשׁ. Some of the people involved in the project believe that there is a possibility that the stairs in the side of the pool were the ones used by צִדְקִיָּה הַמֶלֶךְ on his secret escape from Yᵊru•shâ•laꞋyim; before his capture by the Babylonians. Remnants of the street, which is attributed to the days of the second בֵּית הַמִּקְדָּשׁ, are also recognizable, ascending the hill from the pool. The hypothesis is that this is the street from the days of Herod, used by pilgrims ascending to the second בֵּית הַמִּקְדָּשׁ. Its continuation is the street found today in the KoꞋtël tunnel.

On the Way to the Treasures of בֵּית הַמִּקְדָּשׁ?

Another discovery that is causing excitement is of a cove leading to a small and intimate place of tᵊvil•âhꞋ and purification, which has a well-chiseled gate leading up to it. On the gate, the signs of the recess of one of the hinges are recognizable and that same hinge was found nearby. People close to the project expressed the hypothesis that since this is a big investment for individual use, it might be the place of tᵊvil•âhꞋ and purification of the Ko•heinꞋ ha-Jâ•dolꞋ before his work of קֹדֶשׁ in the בֵּית הַמִּקְדָּשׁ on Yom ha-Ki•pur•imꞋ. This is described in the MiꞋshᵊnâh relating to the Ko•heinꞋ ha-Jâ•dolꞋ, Yi•shᵊm•â•eilꞋ Bën-Ël•i•shâꞋ.

Recently another narrow tunnel has been uncovered at the same place, after a map of the excavations of the archeologists Parker and Vincent in the years 1909-1911 mentioned that, on the tenth step leading down to the Shi•loꞋakh Tunnel, there is a tunnel like this. It was decided to believe the map, even though there was no sign of it, and a quarrying into the stone was conducted, which revealed the long tunnel that belongs to a series of many tunnels and burrows under the mountain.

At the hearts of the people involved is a hope bordering on wild imagination, following the discovery of another cavity behind the boulders, that at this point cannot be accessed due to legal reasons, but the insertion of a fiber optic has confirmed its existence. In addition, traces of metal were detected using technological means. People close to the project have said that it is still way too early to jump to far-fetched conclusions, like finding the treasures of the בֵּית הַמִּקְדָּשׁ, or the like, but it is definitely intriguing.

Sidebox 1: The excavations in the Kᵊphâr ha-Shi•loꞋakh

Everyone Is Looking for Evidence of the Accounts in Tanakh

In the area of the Kᵊphâr ha-Shi•loꞋakh, archeological excavations have been conducted since the beginning of the last century. Many researchers from the country and the world have participated in these excavations, including Parker, Canyon, Shiloh, Reich and Shokron, and they all hoped, first and foremost, to locate findings that would confirm the stories of the Ta•na"khꞋ from the period of the Kings of Beit-Dâ•widꞋ.

Over the course of more than a hundred years of excavations, many structures from different periods were uncovered, starting with the beginning of the Chalcolithic period (B.C.E. 4,500) and up to later times. The most fascinating area to be excavated is the eastern side of the Kᵊphâr ha-Shi•loꞋakh (located by archeologist Cathleen Kenyon in the sixties and the Israeli researcher Shiloh in the eighties). In this place, an ancient housing area was uncovered, dating back to the days of the first בֵּית הַמִּקְדָּשׁ, which was apparently used by the local elite who were close to the royalty.

Inside the structures themselves (the House of Akh•i•eilꞋ and the House of the Seals), which were considered very glorious for that time, a layer of debris containing tens of seals, with Hebrew inscriptions on most, describe persons close to the local authority (like גְּמַרְיָהוּ בֶּן-שָׁפָן and עֲזַרְיָה בֶּן-חִלְקִיָּה; cf. Shᵊm•otꞋ 7.1 & Di•vᵊr•eiꞋ-ha-Yâm•imꞋ ÂlꞋëph 9.11), which testify that the distinguished members of the city lived there. The seal that was recently found in excavations nearby may strengthen the evidence that its location is the Palace of the Kings of Yᵊhud•âhꞋ.

Sidebox 2: Who was יוּכַל בֶּן-שֶׁלֶמְיָהוּ?

The Man Who Urged Killing Yi•rᵊmᵊyâhꞋu ha-Nâ•viꞋ

According to what is told in the book of Yi•rᵊmᵊyâhꞋu ha-Nâ•viꞋ chapter 38, יוּכַל בֶּן-שֶׁלֶמְיָהוּ was one of the ministers who turned to צִדְקִיָּה הַמֶלֶךְ and alerted him about the demoralization that Yi•rᵊmᵊyâhꞋu ha-Nâ•viꞋ was doing in the city, and urged killing Yi•rᵊmᵊyâhꞋu ha-Nâ•viꞋ. This, after he heard that the Nâ•viꞋ issued prophecies of destructions on the besieged Yᵊru•shâ•laꞋyim and encouraged residents to leave the city in order to save their lives.

In the last chapter, he is mentioned (by his full name, יְהוּכַל בֶּן-שֶׁלֶמְיָה) as the one who turns to Yi•rᵊmᵊyâhꞋu ha-Nâ•viꞋ, together with another person, according to the king’s request so that the navi will pray for the Kingdom of Yᵊhud•âhꞋ. However, Yi•rᵊmᵊyâhꞋu ha-Nâ•viꞋ didn’t heed the request and when he continued prophesying destruction, the king agreed to the request of יְהוּכַל בֶּן-שֶׁלֶמְיָה and the other ministers, and they took Yi•rᵊmᵊyâhꞋu ha-Nâ•viꞋ and threw him into a water cistern. The cistern was full of clay and Yi•rᵊmᵊyâhꞋu ha-Nâ•viꞋ almost drowned in it, according to what is told, until one of the king’s chamberlains pleaded for Yi•rᵊmᵊyâhꞋu ha-Nâ•viꞋ’s nëphꞋësh and צִדְקִיָּה הַמֶלֶךְ ordered to raise him from the pit.

After these things, the king had a secret meeting with Yi•rᵊmᵊyâhꞋu ha-Nâ•viꞋ, who kept talking to him about destruction and doom. The king asked him not to tell the ministers what he said to the king if they ask him, but to tell the ministers — including יְהוּכַל בֶּן-שֶׁלֶמְיָה apparently — only that he begged the king not to arrest him. Yi•rᵊmᵊyâhꞋu ha-Nâ•viꞋ promised, kept his promise, and lived to see his prophecies come true. The city was conquered by the Babylonians and burned down. What eventually happened to יְהוּכַל בֶּן-שֶׁלֶמְיָה can only be guessed.

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