Ancient Treasures and the Dead Sea Scrolls

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THE FIRST TEMPLE PERIOD
AND THE LONG DAVIDIC DYNASTY

Kings and Palaces  

785-733 BCE
Uzziah, King of Judah

Then all the people of Judah took Uzziah, who was sixteen years old, and proclaimed him king to succeed his father Amaziah.
2 Chroniques 26:1

In ancient Near Eastern societies, the royal title was handed down from father to son.

Uzziah, a descendant of David, became king when his father Amaziah died. The Bible recounts that he was abruptly removed from power, however, for burning incense in the Temple himself, as this was a priestly prerogative. He was afflicted with leprosy, and gave up his throne to his son before he died.

Audio - Curator's Tour (Dr. Adolfo Roitman)

King Uzziah's epitaph
King Uzziah's epitaph.
Collection The Israel Museum, Jerusalem
Photo © The Israel Museum, by Dr. Jean-Luc Pilon, Canadian Museum of Civilization

In the Ruins of a Royal Palace

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
Window balustrade.
Israel Antiquities Authority Collection, exhibited at the Israel Museum, Jerusalem
Photo © Israel Museum, Jerusalem

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