David Wilder
Back
in the 1960s an archeologist from the United States, Prof. Philip
Hammond, from the Princeton Theological Seminary, excavated in Hebron,
in the area call Tel Rumeida, during the summer months of 1964, 1965,
and 1966. He discovered many interesting artifacts on the south eastern
side of the Tel, including the remains of walls so large and so old,
that he called them “Cycloptic walls.”
Hammond’s findings were later documented by
Prof. Jeffrey Chadwick of the Brigham Young University in his doctoral
thesis. (See: Discovering Hebron, Jeffrey R. Chadwick, BAR 31:05, Sep/Oct 2005).
Later excavations were continued by Dr. Avi
Ofer, between the years 1984-1986. He discovered what was called one of
the most important archaeological finds, a tablet with writing on it,
from the era preceding Abraham, probably a list of animals, perhaps
utilized for sacrifice.
In 1998, archologist Yuval Peleg literally
fell into an underground room, near the present entrance into the
neighborhood, where he discovered dozens of artifacts, including jars,
jewelry, and other artifacts from the late Bronze era, that is,
post-Patriarchs and Matriarchs.
However, perhaps the most astounding
discoveries were those of Emmanuel Eisenberg, leading excavations for
the Israeli Antiquities Department, in 1999. Among his finds were a
4,500 year old wall, that belonging to the early bronze era, which on a
Biblical timeline is the time of Noah, and stairs, also over 4,000 years
old, leading from the valley below into the ancient city of Hebron.
Eisenberg can also chalk up another amazing
discovery: that of a home, 2,700 years old, from the time of King
Hezekiah. In the vicinity of this home, also found were five seals, call
‘the King seals,’ bearing the impression of a bird, or a beetle, with
the word ‘lemelech’ meaning ‘belonging to the King, written above the
impression, and the word ‘Hebron’ in ancient Hebron, below it. These
seals were embedded on the bottom of handles on clay jars containing
food, to be distributed to soldiers in the then Judean army, who were
fighting a war against Sancheriv, who also invaded Hebron and burned it
to the ground. Stone pillars discovered at the site are stained with
patches of black, which Eisenberg determined were from the remains of
the fire which burned down Hebron.
The 1999 excavations revealed artifacts from
4,500 years ago, to about 1,500 years ago. One of the time periods
unaccounted for is that of 3,000 years ago, when David began his reign
as King of Judea in Hebron, where he ruled for 7 and a half years,
before ascending to Jerusalem, establishing it as the eternal capital of
the Jewish people. The present understanding, was was explained to us
by Eisenberg, is that most probably David founded the first City of
David on the highest point of Tel Hebron, an area yet to be examined.
Until now. Until Sunday of this week. A few
days ago Hebron joyfully greeted back Emmanuel Eisenberg, representing
the Israeli Antiquities Agency, and Dr. David ben Shlomo from the Ariel
University, who are jointly heading up renewed digging on Tel Hebron.
The areas presently being excavated are labeled ‘plots 52 and 53,’ on
the center-south-west section of Tel Hebron. The area is between 5 to 6
Dunam, that being some 1.5 acres or 6,000 sq. meters. The time needed to
complete the excavation is dependent on the findings at the site, but
it is possible that they could be completed by the end of this calendar
year.
These renewed excavations are tremendously
exciting. The thought of uncovering the original city of David, or even
his palace, is mind-boggling. Why so? Hebron is the roots of Judaism, it
is the roots of all of monotheism and I also call it the very
beginnings of humanity. That being the beginning of the end of human
sacrifice, with the belief of one G-d, a Deity rejecting killing of men,
women and children as a means of worship. With Abraham, mankind starts
to leave the barbarity of such acts and begins praying to one G-d. This
is Abraham’s legacy.
We repeat the words ‘David Melech Yisrael,
Chai v’Kayam - David, King of Israel, is alive and exists. Daily we pray
for the renewal of the kingdom of David, the roots of which are in
Hebron.
The significance of this is, not such much
what was in the past, but who we are today, and where we are going in
the future. I tell many of my guests in Hebron, I am not so amazed at
the presence of Abraham, 3,700 years ago, but rather that we still live
at the very site where we originated. How many peoples in world can say
that, today, in 2014, they still live where they began, in our case,
almost 4,000 years ago?
We are part of a chain, beginning with
Abraham, continuing through David, and leading, over the centuries, to
the present, a chain which will stretch thru eternity. In order to know
who we are, what we are, and where we have the potential to reach, we
must know where we are coming from. If you don’t know your past, you
have no idea which direction to go in, you get lost, not knowing where
you are going.
Renewed revelation of Hebron’s past will be as
an arrow, pointing us in the right direction, as we continue to march
thru the pages of history, an eternal people in an eternal land.
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