Talk:Tel Arad
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[edit] Saverx theories
The Arad Theory
Tel Arad is presently named so from two pieces of pottery found in the 7th century citadel in the time of the Kings of Judah that have implied to some that it must have been the biblically mentioned Canaanite city Arad (Numbers 21). However there are other scholars that debate that those pieces are mistranlated. First, because at the time of the Exodus in aproximately 1446 BCE Tel Arad was already deserted for 1,210 years at a time Arad would have been inhabited. Second, over 400 years before the citadel at Tel Arad, according to the Tanakh, Arad was a major urban center in Canaanite times, and was destroyed and renamed Hormah by the Israelites during their sojourn in the southern part of the desert.
As mentioned in the Book of Numbers 21:2-3:
Then Israel made this vow to the LORD: "If you will deliver these people into our hands, we will totally destroy their cities." The LORD listened to Israel's plea and gave the Canaanites over to them. They completely destroyed them and their towns; so the place was named Hormah.
That Arad was said to be not far from Mount Hor and the Red Sea. Therefore, it could not be named Arad over 600 years later. Third, because even the other Arad that was also mentioned in the Book of Judges and the Book of Joshua (that was in a different location) does not apply to this site because 'Tel Arad' still was re-established over 200 years after both those biblically mentions of Arad.
The Citadel of David
The House of Yahweh upon the hill of Tel Arad has sparked a number of questions with many trying to understand why the site has a sanctuary, holy of holies that were built in time of the two greatest kings of Judah. Why does it have records of well known priestly families, and countless amounts of offerings and pottery from the time of its establishment in King David's time to the Roman and Islamic Empires. One conclusion many are being to come to is that this is the tabernacle of David, the hill of Zion, and area of the Jerusalem of the Jebusites. And although it might seem unbelievable the evidence behind the theory is beginning to have allot of weight.
The Jewish historian Flavius Josephus wrote an almost perfect geographic description that fits Tel Arad and also gave a matching explaination of why the citadel dealt with so much food and supplies in pottery. As stated in the 'Wars of the Jews' 5:1: ".. The city was built upon two hills which are opposite to one another, and have a valley to divide them asunder; at which valley the corresponding rows of houses on both hills end. Of these hills, that which contains the upper city is much higher, and in length more direct. Accordingly, it was called the "Citadel," by king David; he was the father of that Solomon who built this temple at the first; but it is by us called the "Upper Market-place." But the other hill, which was called "Acra," and sustains the lower city, is of the shape of a moon when she is horned; over-against this was a third hill, but naturally lower than Acra, and parted formerly from the other by a broad valley."
Archaeology has already substanciated that Tel Arad existed and was inhabited at the time that Josephus would have wrote this. However, this description of the citadel of David could only be on mount Zion and only in Jerusalem. Yet, one fact that is rarely spoken of directly in the Tanakh is that there are two Jerusalems.
The Two Jerusalems
According to the Tanakh, there were two locations called Jerusalem, one inhabited by the Amorites (Joshua 10:5), and the other inhabited by the Jebusites (Joshua 15:63; Judges 1:21). One in the mountains (Joshua 10:6) and the other surrounded by mountains (Psalm 125:2; Nehemiah 8:15). One the Children of Israel conquered when they entered the land of Israel (Judges 1:8) and the other was took by King David some 300 years later (2 Samuel 5:7; 1 Chronicles 11:5). One in the mount of Ephraim (Genesis 33:18; Genesis 14:18; Joshua 18:1; Judges 4:5;) and the other just north of Rimmon which is in the southern part of Judah (and the inheritance of Simeon- Joshua 19:7-8) (Zechariah 14:10; Joshua 15:21-32).
With such clear cut differences between the two Jerusalems the possibility that the House of Yahweh at 'Tel Arad' is the Citadel of David, the Arad Becken is the Jerusalem surrounded by mountains, and not too far north from Mizpe Rimmon does not stray too far from logic.
For more developments on this I suggest you read these two pages Citadel History, Zion Search from people presently on the site.
—Preceding unsigned comment added by Saverx (talk • contribs) 23:44, September 17, 2007
