The large stone structure in the City of David: A reexamination

The excavations conducted by EILAT MAZAR in the City of David change many of the accepted views on biblical Jerusalem. The LSS, the most formidable finding in her excavations, is no doubt an impressive building that had an important role in Jerusalem. The archaeological results clearly show that the structure - just like its other half (the Stepped Stone Structure) - should be dated to the Iron Age I. The combined building was the main structure in Iron Age I Jerusalem (the "Jebusite city"), and is indeed the most impressive building from this period throughout the region. The building continued to function during the Iron Age IIA ("the period of the David and Solomon"), but in this era (in which we have for the first time evidence for contacts with Phoenicia) it experienced some changes, probably as a result of the transfer of some administrative functions to another place - most likely following the building of a new palace or administrative center. It appears that after a while the area changed its function completely, and perhaps even lost its importance, and the LSS ceased to function as a public building. Although we should not underestimate the importance of the structure or the contribution of the finds to the study of the history of biblical Jerusalem, it is quite clear that the building was not the palace built for King David by the Phoenicians.