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THE FIRST TEMPLE PERIOD
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King Uzziah's epitaph. Collection The Israel Museum, Jerusalem Photo © The Israel Museum, by Dr. Jean-Luc Pilon, Canadian Museum of Civilization |
The ruins of the royal citadel from the 8th-7th century BCE unearthed at Ramat Rahel, south of Jerusalem, give us an idea of what the sumptuous palaces of the last kings of Judah must have looked like. Inside the fortifications, a window balustrade survived, with several capitals bearing palmettes in the style of Phoenician craftsmen-a style popular with the Israelites.
Window balustrade. Israel Antiquities Authority Collection, exhibited at the Israel Museum, Jerusalem Photo © Israel Museum, Jerusalem |