A 3000-year-old palace, dating to the time of King Solomon, has been discovered in Gezer. The massive building has a large, central courtyard, much like the palatial buildings discovered at Hazor and Megiddo. It is built of large, rectangular-shaped monolithic hewn stones, unusual for domestic structures of the day, but the type of building materials that would be used in a palace. Philistine bichrome pottery and an "Ashdod figurine" – believed to be a Philistine goddess – were also discovered at the site, providing evidence that the Bible's description of Gezer being under Philistine control when King David broke their power "all the way from Geba to Gezer" (2 Sm 5:25; 1 Chron 14:16) is true. The team excavating the site has dubbed the building "Solomon's Palace," not because they believe Solomon dwelt there, but because of the Bible's description of Solomon's building projects at Gezer after his wife – Pharaoh's daughter – received the city as a wedding gift from her father, the King of Egypt (1 Kgs 9:15-17). This discovery demonstrates, yet again, that the descriptions found in the Bible are historically accurate.
Off-site Links:
- http://www.haaretz.com/jewish/archaeology/1.739358
- http://www.newhistorian.com/solomons-palace-discovered-gezer-israel/7154/
- http://www.ibtimes.com/archaeology-proves-bible-true-story-king-solomon-era-palace-found-israel-2410311