Summary: For the past 150 years, archaeologists have attempted to trace ancient Jerusalem’s northern fortification line. Finally, the defensive system has been clearly exposed.
Solomon built the Millo and closed up the breach of the city of David, his father. – 1 Kings 11:27 (ESV)
Massive Moat Mystery
A 150-year-old unsolved mystery in the City of David has finally been unraveled with the discovery of a massive moat that is thought to have been used to fortify and protect the Temple Mount and the king’s palace in Biblical-era Jerusalem, announced the Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA) and Tel Aviv University in a press release a week ago.
Jerusalem’s northern fortification eluded archaeologists before now as they could not trace its full route. But recent excavations of the Givati Parking Lot, adjacent to the Old City walls and a part of the Jerusalem Walls National Park have uncovered a moat that divided the City of David in half.
As initial results of the discovery were reported late last year, archaeologists were perplexed by the peculiar rock-cutting, but as the excavation progressed and connections were made to previous digs, it became evident that this was the northern defense line of the lower city, “one of the monumental fortifications that protected the kings of Jerusalem,” said the IAA.
Excavation Limitations
Jerusalem has never been spatially excavated in a systematic manner. While some parts of the city have been extensively excavated such as the slopes surrounding the spring, certain areas like the Temple Mount have not been accessible for archaeology. Other areas such as the eastern slopes of the Central Valley, have only recently been explored. Consequently, this has limited the accuracy of any comprehensive reconstructions of the city during the Bronze and Iron Ages.
The northern edge of the Southeastern Ridge, the ancient core of Jerusalem, is one area where few excavations have taken place, since it was covered by modern construction early in the 20th century. One section within this area undergoing current excavations is the Givati Parking Lot where evidence of the moat was found and also a mysterious large-scale network of channels cut into the rock that we reported on in a previous Thinker update.
Ambitious Division of the City
Ancient Jerusalem holds many secrets, but researchers may have finally dug to the bottom of one unsolved mystery by exposing a large man-made ditch close to the Ophel Hill summit. The impressive defensive system, featuring a deep, wide trench carved into bedrock, split Jerusalem into two distinct zones and safeguarded its rulers for centuries.
The moat was created by extensive rock-cutting that formed an enormous channel almost 100 feet wide and 20 feet deep. Flanking the trench are sheer cliffs that are impossible to scale. The moat appears to have been filled in during the second century BC, around the time of the Maccabees, to allow for expansion of the city.
“It is not known when the moat was originally cut, but evidence suggests it was used during the centuries when Jerusalem was the capital of the Kingdom of Judah, almost 3,000 years ago, beginning with King Josiah,” explained Professor Yuval Gadot from Tel Aviv University’s Department of Archaeology and Yiftah Shalev from the IAA, who led the excavation. “During those years, the moat separated the southern residential part of the city from the ruling Acropolis in the north; the upper city where the palace and the temple were located.”
The fortification was an ambitious project designed to reshape the natural landscape and project power to those approaching the city, according to the researchers. This immense undertaking required significant resources and expertise, speaking volumes about the authority wielded by the city’s rulers at the time. According to the Bible, King Solomon, the son of David, was the first to construct a sanctuary on the Temple Mount.
“The creation of the moat was a large-scale, monumental operation, designed to change and modify the natural topography to demonstrate the power of Jerusalem’s rulers to those who entered its gates,” said the IAA.
Intriguing Connection to Past Research
“Following the dramatic discovery, we reexamined the past excavations reports written by the British archaeologist Kathleen Kenyon, who excavated in the City of David in the 1960s, in an area located slightly east of today’s Givati Parking Lot,” explained Gadot.
“It became clear to us that Kenyon noticed that the natural rock slopes towards the north, in a place where it should have risen. She thought it was a natural valley, but now it turns out that she had uncovered the continuation of the moat, carved to the west,” continued Gadot. “The connection of the two uncovered sections creates a deep and wide moat that extends across at least 70 meters [77 yards], from west to east.”
Although Kenyon’s dig noticed the presence of the depression, they didn’t excavate all the way to bedrock, and therefore, didn’t notice that it was artificial. The researchers believe that if the previous excavators had dug further, they would have clearly seen the artificial nature of the moat.
Biblical Connections
“This is a dramatic discovery that opens up a renewed discussion about the terms from the Biblical literature that refer to the topography of Jerusalem, such as the Ophel and the Millo,” said Gadot. The Bible alludes to these building efforts in 1 Kings 11:27, which mentions King Solomon’s work: “Solomon built the Millo and closed up the breach of the city of David, his father.”
The Ophel, meaning fortified hill, is the part of Jerusalem just south of the ancient Temple Mount. It is one of the most important archaeological sites of the Second Temple-period and includes Hezekiah’s tunnel (2 Kings 20:20).
The Millo is mentioned in 2 Sam. 5:7-9 which records that after David conquered the Jebusite “stronghold of Zion,” he renamed the area the City of David and fortified it “from the Millo inward.” The etymology of the Hebrew word “millo” may be derived from the verb ml’, to “fill up.” The Stepped Stone Structure is built of a fill of stones and earth and may be the Millo referenced in the Book of Samuel. This structure extends down the slope from the Large Stone Structure which is likely the remains of King David’s palace.
There is uncertainty surrounding the trench’s origins. “The date the moat was cut is unknown,” noted Shalev. “Such significant construction plans and quarrying in Jerusalem are usually dated to the Middle Bronze Age – about 3,800 years ago (the beginning of the 2nd millennium BC). If the moat was cut during this period, then it was intended to protect the city from the north – the only weak point of the City of David slope.”
“Either way, we are confident that it was used at the time of the First Temple and the Kingdom of Judah [10th-6th century BC], so it created a clear buffer between the residential city in the south, and the upper city in the north,” said Shalev.
The researchers noted that this moat, along with the construction of “the Stepped Stone Structure, the reshaping of the western slope, and the construction of the Ophel,” all “completely altered the natural topography of ancient Jerusalem.”
Jerusalem is not the only city to have a rock-cut ditch for fortification. Others are known from several central Late Iron IIA sites, such as Samaria, Jezreel, and Hazor west of the Jordan River, as well as Khirbet Atarus, to the east of the Jordan. In all of these sites, the moats were dug to further bolster the defensive system of the cities. The only example of an inner barrier like Jerusalem’s is the ditch at Hazor.
Conclusion
“The excavations in the City of David never cease to amaze,” said IAA director Eli Escusido. “Once again, discoveries are being revealed that shed new and vivid light on Biblical literature. When you stand at the bottom of this giant excavation, surrounded by enormous hewn walls, it is impossible not to be filled with wonder and appreciation for those ancient people who, about 3,800 years ago, literally moved mountains and hills.”
The Jerusalem moat findings were published in the peer-reviewed journal TEL AVIV, which publishes articles on current archaeological investigations in the Levant and critical studies related to the history and culture of Near Eastern civilizations. This discovery will be presented to the public at the upcoming Jerusalem Learning Experience Conference, hosted by the City of David in early August.
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TOP PHOTO: Prof. Yuval Gadot at the bottom of the Jerusalem moat. (credit: Erik Marmor, City of David)
