An Israeli archaeologist claims to have found the legendary citadel outlined in the Bible and captured by King David when he took the fortress of Jerusalem from the Jebusites.
Eli Shukron claims that he and his team uncovered the citadel during their excavations of the ancient City of David and argues that the “whole site we can compare to the Bible perfectly”, according to the AP.
Shukron has been excavating the ancient City of David in the predominantly Palestinian neighbourhood of Silwan in East Jerusalem since 1995 and has discovered a large fortification, with walls dating back to around 3,800 years ago.
He has made a number of discoveries at the site which he claims match with the Biblical account of the ancient city of Jerusalem, which in his views proves the legitimacy of the Bible as a historical document.
However, other have been less convinced by his discoveries, with very little pottery found to show that the site was in use during the reign of King David.
The location of the Israeli-led excavation in the Palestinian area of East Jerusalem is also contentious, with the dig financed by a controversial organization that settles Jews in guarded homes in the area with the aim of preventing the division of the city in any future two-state solution to the ongoing Israel-Palestine conflict.
