Evidence of Hezekiah’s Construction

Dr. Leen Ritmeyer is an archaeological architect known for his reconstruction drawings of archaeological sites, particularly of Jerusalem and the Temple Mount.  His work is frequently published in scholarly literature and will be included in the upcoming ESV Study Bible.

He has dated some of the masonry on Jerusalem’s eastern wall to the time of King Hezekiah.  You can read a brief description and see photos on his blog.  For more information on Dr. Ritmeyer and his published work, including his drawings and sketches, visit his web site.

Scholarship and excavation have concluded that Hezekiah built large, new retaining walls around the Temple Mount of his day to create a 500 x 500 cubit square.  Nearly all the masonry from Hezekiah’s time has been lost in the frequent destruction and rebuilding of the city, and with the recycling of materials for other construction.

The Bible describes Hezekiah’s fortification of Jerusalem and its walls.

He took courage and rebuilt all the wall that had been broken down and erected towers on it, and built another outside wall and strengthened the Millo in the city of David. (2 Chronicles 32:5 NAS95)

Foundations for the “outside wall” were discovered after Israel’s capture of Jerusalem in 1967.  Here is a photo I took in March of 2000.

Iron Age wall (Hezekiah) in Jerusalem.

Hezekiah left a large archaeological footprint in Jerusalem. (I will not post everything right now since it would be quite a lengthy reading.)  It is always exciting and illuminating to connect people in the Bible with things we can see today.