The Iron Age Complex in the Ophel, Jerusalem: A Critical Analysis

Abstract

Excavations at the Ophel in Jerusalem have revealed some of the most elaborate Iron Age remains in the city. They are of great importance for reconstructing the settlement history of Jerusalem and are related to two major issues: the nature of Judah’s capital in the 10th century BCE and the location of its original Bronze and Iron Age mound. Here I deal with the characteristics of the remains and their chronological setting. Analysing the stratigraphic, architectural and ceramic evidence, I conclude that the construction of the western part of the complex cannot predate the Iron IIB in the 8th century BCE, and that the early buildings in the eastern sector should probably be dated to the Late Iron IIA in the 9th century BCE.

Keywords:

• Jerusalem
• Iron Age
• City of David
• Ophel

Notes

1 I am using the terms Ophel and City of David only in their modern context of archaeological research (to differ from their biblical connotations; for the City of David in the Bible, see Hutzli 2011).

2 To avoid confusion, I am using Mazar’s terminology for the structures, without committing myself to her interpretations (e.g., regarding the gatehouse) or identification with biblical references, some (in Nehemiah) probably dated to the Hellenistic period.

3 The complex is oriented southwest–northeast. For the sake of simplicity I refer to its orientation as west–east.

4 This juglet—with the handle reaching the middle of the neck—dates to the Iron IIA. However, the date of the fill is dictated by the latest items retrieved from it.

5 The topography does not pose an obstacle in interpreting the Gatehouse as an entrance into an inner compound in the city (Wightman 1993: 41–42; Herzog 1997: 237).

6 Moreover, the Iron Age city-wall of Jerusalem is a solid wall. No indication for a casemate wall has ever been found in Jerusalem—not even the short segment of two parallel walls excavated by Kenyon near the Gihon (1974: 14–15, Fig. 37).

7 Her Phase III refers to the western Ophel.

8 Regarding the relationship between the Straight Wall and the Great Projecting Tower, Winderbaum raises two possibilities: that the former connects to the latter or that it is cut by it.

9 But see the early appearance of significant architecture in Level Q-5, which dates ca. 900 BCE (Finkelstein and Kleiman 2019).

10 It is very difficult to accept that the pottery repertoire in Jerusalem is different from that of Lachish, located only 40 km to the southwest.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Israel Finkelstein

Israel Finkelstein: Sonia and Marco Nadler Institute of Archaeology, Tel Aviv University, Israel, and School of Archaeology and Maritime Cultures, University of Haifa, Israel