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NATHAN STEINMEYER, BAS

CITY OF DAVID. According to the Hebrew Bible, Jerusalem during the time of David and Solomon was a place of major construction projects, including the Temple and various palaces and fortifications. Unfortunately, archaeology has provided little material evidence of this period, while some surviving monuments that may date to this time are quite enigmatic, such as the Stepped Stone Structure (above), identified by some with the biblical Millo (2 Kings 12:20) and by others as a retaining wall for a monumental structure built above. Similarly, the so-called Large Stone Structure, located on the ridge directly above the Stepped Stone Structure, is sometimes identified with David’s palace. Nevertheless, some discoveries of the past decade have greatly expanded our understanding of Jerusalem’s development throughout the Iron Age (c. 1200–586 BCE).