Radiocarbon chronology of Iron Age Jerusalem reveals calibration offsets and architectural developments

Reconstructing the absolute chronology of Jerusalem during the time it served as the Judahite Kingdom’s capital is challenging due to its dense, still inhabited urban nature and the plateau shape of the radiocarbon calibration curve during part of this period. We present 103 radiocarbon dates from reliable archaeological contexts in five excavation areas of Iron Age Jerusalem, which tie between archaeology and biblical history. We exploit Jerusalem’s rich past, including textual evidence and vast archaeological remains, to overcome difficult problems in radiocarbon dating, including establishing a detailed chronology within the long-calibrated ranges of the Hallstatt Plateau and recognizing short-lived regional offsets in atmospheric 14C concentrations. The key to resolving these problems is to apply stringent field methodologies using microarchaeological methods, leading to densely radiocarbon-dated stratigraphic sequences. Using these sequences, we identify regional offsets in atmospheric 14C concentrations c. 720 BC, and in the historically secure stratigraphic horizon of the Babylonian destruction in 586 BC. The latter is verified by 100 single-ring measurements between 624 to 572 BC. This application of intense 14C dating sheds light on the reconstruction of Jerusalem in the Iron Age. It provides evidence for settlement in the 12th to 10th centuries BC and that westward expansion had already begun by the 9th century BC, with extensive architectural projects undertaken throughout the city in this period. This was followed by significant damage and rejuvenation of the city subsequent to the mid-eight century BC earthquake, after which the city was heavily fortified and continued to flourish until the Babylonian destruction

Archaelogy and history of eighth-century Judah

Resumen: Ensayos de un grupo internacional de expertos sobre el antiguo Cercano Oriente y la Biblia hebrea que honran el trabajo pionero de Oded Borowski en la arqueología y la historia del antiguo Israel y Judá. Los colaboradores abordan la cuestión de lo que sabemos del Judá del siglo VIII desde múltiples ángulos, incluyendo un estudio de los vecinos de Judá, la tierra de Judá y sus ciudades, la vida diaria y la cultura material, las creencias y prácticas religiosas, y las primeras formas de lo que ahora son los textos bíblicos. Entre los colaboradores se encuentran Rami Arav, Shawn Zelig Aster, Assaf Avraham, Jeffrey A. Blakely, Sandra Blakely, Elizabeth Bloch-Smith, Efrat Bocher, Erin Darby, Jennie Ebeling, Zev I. Farber, Avraham Faust, Daniel E. Fleming, Yuval Gadot, Kristine Garroway, Seymour Gitin, James W. Hardin, Gilad Itach, Hayah Katz, Reinhard G. Kratz, Joel M. LeMon, Shani Libi, Oded Lipschits, Donald Redford, Christopher Rollston, Bruce Routledge, Yair Sapir, Konrad Schmid, Cynthia Shafer-Elliott, Brent A. Strawn, Andy Vaughn, Jacob L. Wright, y K. Lawson Younger Jr. Características: - Énfasis en la influencia de Asiria en las culturas políticas, religiosas y materiales de Judá; Múltiples modelos para las primeras etapas de la escritura y composición bíblica; Información actualizada sobre tipologías de cerámica