Israel seminar: exploring the City of David

28 July 2005, Thursday:

We had our first Jerusalem orientation “field seminar”, in which we explored biblical references to the land (and particularly to Jerusalem). Starting at the Tayelet overlooking the old city, we then visited the City of David. This is the original settlement that David conquered around 1000 BCE, in a valley below what became the Temple Mount. There's now an Arab neighborhood in this valley. We ended by walking 600m underground through Hezekiah’s tunnel underneath the City of David – it was pitch black and the water came up to our knees. It's an aquifer that predates Rome's elaborate water system by about 500 years.
Fun was had by all. I took a few photos.

We looked at a number of problematic and/or contradictory texts from the Tanakh, regarding Jerusalem and the monarchy of David and Solomon.

For example: Genesis 14:1-24
After Abraham conquers the invaders of Sodom (and thus wins back his nephew Lot from captivity), he returns to receive the blessings of the King of Sodom, as well as King Melchitzedek of Salem (i.e. Jerusalem). Strangely, the text says that “Melchitzedek brought out bread and wine; he was a priest of God Most High.” Why is this strange? Because it doesn’t make sense that there was a priest of God Most High who somehow predated Abraham: a) the priesthood certainly hadn’t been established yet, and b) the Israelites descended from Abraham, so who was this other guy? The rabbis asked these questions, and some suggested that Melchitzedek was Noah’s son Shem (the good son). In the end, there are two main ways of reading this anachronistic mention of a priest of God Most High operating in Jerusalem:

1. It is the editor’s way of demonstrating the eternity of Jerusalem as a holy site. It is intentionally “achronological” because the holiness of Jerusalem exists outside of time.
2. It is a retrospective political insertion to establish Jerusalem as the center of Jewish religious and even political authority.

No answers, just suggestions…

Another example: Who killed Goliath?
David, of course…or so the popular assumption goes. That story comes from I Samuel 17:25-51. However, take a look at II Samuel 21:18-22 and I Chronicles 20:4-7. Another Philistine giant mentioned, but no mention of David (except in the general terms of the house of David). Here, Jonathan son of Shimei (David’s nephew), slays the giant. Hmm…

One last example for now: The conquest of Jerusalem
Who did it, and when? Consider:

1. Joshua 15:63 – the Judaites could not dispossess the Jebusites, the inhabitants of Jerusalem; so the Judaites dwell with the Jebusites in Jerusalem to this day.
2. Judges 1:8-11 – the Judaites attacked Jerusalem and captured it…
3. Judges 1:19-21 – The Benjaminites did not dispossess the Jebusite inhabitants of Jerusalem; so the Jebusites have dwelt with the Benjaminites in Jerusalem to this day.

So wait a second, who conquered/lived in Jerusalem?! It’s kind of unclear. There’s clearly evidence of some tribal insertions (i.e. Judah vs. Benjamin), but who knows what "really" happened. It's probably safe to say there was some kind of battle...

I’m constantly reminded: claiming to read the Bible literally is deeply problematic and inherently inconsistent…