A lost city dating to the rule of King David from the Old Testament has been uncovered in Jerusalem.
King David is an ancestor of Jesus, according to biblical sources, which say he ruled around BC 1,000.
Experts say that recently-found ruins date to the 10th century BC.
This ties in with the timeframe for when the bible says King David existed, making the link between the two ‘plausible’, researchers claim.
The finding is likely to fuel the debate surrounding whether Biblical figures such as King David actually existed, however.
Some researchers believe the legendary figure is akin to King Arthur – an amalgam of myth and historical fact, the basis of which has been lost to the sands of time.
A lost city dating to the rule of King David from the Old Testament has been uncovered in Jerusalem, according to the results of radiocarbon dating samples taken from the floors and foundations of a dwelling buried deep under an artificial mound near Hebron
The dig, which took place in the Judean Shephelah to the east of the Hebron hills, was led by Professor Avraham Faust of Bar-Ilan University.
The site, Tel Eton, is an artificial mound that is made up of the built up ruins of ancient cultures that existed in the same spot for millennia.
Some scholars say it is the site of the Canaanite city of Eglon, later listed in the bible as part of the Tribe of Judah, of which David was the founder.
Now, the results of radiocarbon dating samples taken from the floors and foundations of a dwelling – until recently buried deep under the surface of the mound – have been published.
They show it dates to around the same time as King David, who ruled in the highlands, and ties in to social changes in the region associated with the ruler.
However, some experts have warned about reading too much into the discovery.
Speaking to MailOnline, Francesca Stavrakopoulou, professor of the Hebrew Bible and ancient religion at the University of Exeter, said: ‘As the excavators themselves confess, this isn’t evidence of the existence of David.
‘It’s the Bible that credits David and Solomon with the formation of a kingdom in the land of Canaan, not archaeology.’
Experts say that the dating of the ruins to the Tenth Century BC tie in with this timeframe, making the link between the city and King David ‘plausible’. The finding is likely to fuel the debate surrounding whether Biblical figures such as King David actually existed, however
Professor Faust and colleagues also found signs of a social transformation the region underwent during the Tenth Century BC.
That included buildings of a type known as a four-room house, or Israelite house, which were common in the ancient Israel but rare elsewhere.
This suggests the influence of David’s kingdom, researchers say.
Speaking to Breaking Israel News, he said: ‘Until 25 years ago no one doubted that King David was a historical figure.
‘In the last 25 years or so, however, David’s historicity, and especially the size of his kingdom, are hotly debated.
WHO WAS THE BIBLICAL FIGURE OF KING DAVID?
King David was the first king of a united Israel and the founder of a dynasty, according to the Old Testament’s Books of Samuel.
It claims that he was both astute and brave but not, however, completely virtuous.
His adulterous desire for Bathsheba, whom he watched at her bath, is the subject of many paintings.
King David was the first king of a united Israel and the founder of a dynasty, according to the Old Testament’s Books of Samuel. He is sometimes represented playing a harp, as in this 1622 painting by Gerard van Honthorst
In the southern Judean kingdom, the Davidic line was the only legitimate dynasty.
Jesus Christ was said to be of the line of David by virtue of his father, Saint Joseph’s lineage.
In altarpieces, King David is often shown among biblical figures.
He is sometimes represented playing a harp; he is recorded as a musician and traditionally is supposed to have composed the Psalms.
The earliest archaeological evidence for King David is the Tel Dan stele, an inscribed stone which dates to the late ninth to mid-eighth century BC
Also popular is the story of his slaying, with a stone from his sling, of the giant Goliath, a great enemy of Israel. This deed was accomplished in his youth.
The earliest archaeological evidence for King David is the Tel Dan stele, an inscribed stone which dates to the late ninth to mid-eighth century BC.
It claims that David was the legendary founder of a dynasty known as the ‘House of David’ or perhaps the ‘House of the Beloved’ – a religious title, rather than a proper name.
The inscription on the stele is not direct proof of David, just proof that some people believed the dynasty was descended from a figure called David.
‘The new discovery at Tel ‘Eton seems to suggest that the highland kingdom controlled larger areas than some scholars believe.
‘This has bearings on the date in which social complexity evolved in Judah, on the debate regarding the historicity of the kingdom of David and (his son) Solomon.’
The earliest archaeological evidence for King David is the Tel Dan stele, an inscribed stone which dates to the late ninth to mid-eighth century BC.
It claims that David was the legendary founder of a dynasty known as the ‘House of David’ or perhaps the ‘House of the Beloved’ – a religious title, rather than a proper name.
The inscription on the stele is not direct proof of David, just proof that some people believed the dynasty was descended from a figure called David, according to Professor Stavrakopoulou.
‘David is more akin to King Arthur – this figure probably didn’t exist, but as a figure he evolved from a collection of legends and stories associated with different leaders and places,’ she added.
‘Unless we find solid references to King David in inscriptions dating to the Tenth Century BC, David can only remain a shadowy figure of legend, rather than history.
Some scholars say it is the site of the biblical city of Eglon, listed as part of the tribe of Judah. Radiocarbon dating shows it dates to around the same time as King David, who ruled in the highlands, tying in to social changes in the region associated with the ancient ruler
‘If someone thinks that there was no King David, that person should come with a different name for the highland king in whose time the region was incorporated into the highland kingdom,’ said lead research Professor Avraham Faust of Bar-Ilan University
‘Archaeological excavations in Jerusalem and the Shephelah can only tell us what we already know – that the region at this time was peppered with small cities and towns – some old, some relatively new – that controlled local networks of agrarian communities.’
Professor Faust himself admits that the association with David is not based on any archaeological evidence, but rather on circumstantial grounds.
However, as the source of the social changes in the region seems to have originated in the highland kingdom from around the time when David was said to have ruled it, he believes the link is ‘plausible’.
He added: ‘We, of course, did not find any artifacts that said “King David” or “King Solomon” but we discovered at the site signs of a social transformation the region underwent.
‘This seems to indicate that the inspiration or cause for the transformations are to be sought in the highland.
‘If someone thinks that there was no King David, that person should come up with a different name for the highland king in whose time the region was incorporated into the highland kingdom.’
The full findings of the study were published in the journal Radiocarbon.
The dig took place in the Judean Shephelah to the east of the Hebron hills. This image shows an aerial view of the site
The dig site, Tel Eton, is an artificial mound that is comprised of the build up of remains of ancient cultures that existed in the same spot for millennia