It Is There: The Archaeological Evidence Proves It

Margreet Steiner makes three startling historical conclusions based on her analysis of the archaeological evidence from Jerusalem: (1) that during the Late Bronze Age (the period just before ancient Israel began to emerge in the central hill country) there was no town of Jerusalem but only a small pharaonic estate governed by a royal steward; (2) that during Iron Age I (the period of the Judges) there was still no town of Jerusalem; and (3) that only during early Iron Age II (the period of the United Monarchy, when King David and King Solomon are said to have reigned, and/or shortly thereafter) was a small town consisting primarily of administrative buildings established. My response to Steiner’s argument is based on my research as the member of Yigal Shiloh’s staff responsible for publishing the results of his excavations in Area G, the area in which he investigated the famous Stepped-Stone Structure and the soil- and stone-filled terraces.