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The City of David, more specifically the southeastern hill of first- and second-millennium BCE Jerusalem, has long captivated the imagination of the world. Archaeologists and historians, biblical scholars and clergy, Christians, Muslims, and Jews, and tourists and armchair travelers from every corner of the globe, to say nothing of politicians of all stripes, look to this small stretch of land in awe, amazement, and anticipation. In the City of David, in the ridge leading down from the Temple Mount, hardly a stone has remained unturned. Archaeologists have worked at a dizzying pace digging and analyzing. But while preliminary articles abound, there is a grievous lack of final publications of the excavations—a regrettable limitation on the ability to fully integrate vital and critical results into the archaeological reconstruction of ancient Jerusalem. Excavations of the City of David are conducted under the auspices of the Israel Antiquities Authority. The Authority has now partnered with the Center for the Study of Ancient Jerusalem and its publication arm, the Ancient Jerusalem Publication Series, for the publication of reports that are written and designed for the scholar as well as for the general reader. Excavations in the City of David (APJ 1), is the first volume in this series.

The City of David, more specifically the southeastern hill of first- and second-millennium BCE Jerusalem, has long captivated the imagination of the world. Archaeologists and historians, biblical scholars and clergy, Christians, Muslims, and Jews, and tourists and armchair travelers from every corner of the globe, to say nothing of politicians of all stripes, look to this small stretch of land in awe, amazement, and anticipation. In the City of David, in the ridge leading down from the Temple Mount, hardly a stone has remained unturned. Archaeologists have worked at a dizzying pace digging and analyzing. But while preliminary articles abound, there is a grievous lack of final publications of the excavations-a regrettable limitation on the ability to fully integrate vital and critical results into the archaeological reconstruction of ancient Jerusalem. Excavations of the City of David are conducted under the auspices of the Israel Antiquities Authority. The Authority has now partnered with the Center for the Study of Ancient Jerusalem and its publication arm, the Ancient Jerusalem Publication Series, for the publication of reports that are written and designed for the scholar as well as for the general reader. Excavations in the City of David (APJ 1), is the first volume in this series.

In June, 1996, a small salvage excavation was carried out on the south side of the eastern slope of the City of David. This small excavation, labeled Area D (see Figs. 2.4, 3.1), was conducted beneath and slightly to the south of the foundations of the southern part of the modern house known as Beit Meyuhas (Weill 1920: Pl. III: maison moderne; reproduced in Reich 2004: Pl. III), the foundations of which had become unstable and needed reinforcement. In 1994, a similar salvage excavation had been carried out by Billig (1999: 62) on the eastern edge of the same house.

Area J is located just north of Shiloh’s Area E and some 120 m south of the spring (see Figs. 2.4, 3.1). Excavations commenced in July 1998 when ca. 110–120 m of Channel II had been cleared in Area F (see Chapter 13), and it was decided to create an artificial passage that could serve as a tourist exit. This was particularly necessary since the southern extension of the channel is narrow and short (Reich 2011: 177–184). The location of this exit (Figs. 8.1, 8.2) was chosen in an undeveloped area near the path ascending from the Kidron

The excavations along the Kidron Valley, conducted in Areas A, J, F, H, D and L, yielded remains from the Middle Bronze Age through to the Byzantine period. Numerous preliminary reports, scholarly articles and popular publications relating to these remains have been published over the years. This is the first time, however, that complete and comprehensive data from all past and current excavations are presented and analyzed, leading to revised and extensive insights regarding the settlement of the City of David in general, and its eastern slope in particular. In the review that follows, we are now able to discuss

Area H (Figs. 2.4, 3.1) consists of two squares that were excavated northeast of the Spring House in January–March 1997 (Reich 2011: 163–169). The purpose of the excavation was to examine the area close to the spring and determine whether the fortifications that were observed to the south and west of the spring (Area C) were also present on the northern and eastern sides. Remains of massive walls were indeed encountered, including a corner that enabled us to understand that a tower had been constructed around the spring. We reached bedrock only in Square 1 (Fig. 17.1). On

Area F is located at the base of the Southeastern Hill, in the vicinity of the spring (Figs. 2.4 and 3.1). Excavations in the area focused on the spring and the Spring House erected above it; Channel I, which extends to the southeast and then turns southward; Channel II, which extends due south from the Spring House along the Kidron Valley; and a maze of short tunnels (labeled III–VII) southwest of the spring (Figs. 13.1–13.5). As the work in Area F revolved around the study of many features that had been previously exposed fully or in part by

In 1995, the road along the Kidron Valley in the City of David was widened and repaved and sidewalks were added on either side. To protect against rocks falling from the huge accumulation of debris strewn across the steep eastern slope, a retaining wall was built along the western sidewalk. Prior to these construction activities, the authors carried out a salvage excavation under the auspices of the Israel Antiquities Authority. Eight excavation squares (Squares 1–8) were opened along the base of the eastern slope (Figs. 4.1, 4.5). Altogether, a ca. 80 m long area was excavated. Seven of the

Along the eastern slope of the City of David, ca. 150 m north of the Gihon Spring and opposite the “Tomb of Pharaoh’s Daughter ” (Figs. 2.4, 3.1), a deep trench formed as a result of damage to a gutter, that drains water from the Dung Gate and Ophel Road (Figs. 26.1–26.4). Due to damage to the gutter, waters flowed down to the Kidron Valley over a period of several years, penetrating the slope and creating a deep ravine (Fig. 26.1). The ravine—labeled Area L—was approximately 7–8 m deep at its lowest spot, occupying about two