Folia Theologica 16. (2005)
Solomon Pasala: Archaeological Evidences for Solomonic period
134 S. PASALA developed that here, beneath the northern stable compound and wall 325, northern palace 6000 was built in stratum VA-IVB, its foundations damaging the remains of the earlier strata, VB and VI A. The northern palace, like southern palace 1723, has thick walls built of ashlar, of which only the foundation course are preserved. In plan, it recalls the typical bit hilani plan characteristic of the residences of many rulers in North Syrian cities of the period22. The town plan of stratum VA-IVB resembles that of other Israelite cities in the Iron Age: Residential structures, some of which were four-room houses, were built into the line of the casemate wall. Both the residential houses and the casemate wall here are built of ashlar stone. A considerable quantity of pottery was found in stratum VA- IVB. A particularly rich assemblage of potter was found in the rooms of palace 6000. The finds date to the 10th century BC.: to the Time King Solomon.23 Stratum VA- IVB was destroyed during Pharaoh Shishak's campaign 926 BC. A fragment of a stele of this pharaoh, probably erected here was found by the Chicago expedition24. Stratum IV A: This was built according to the city plan, more magnificent than that of the previous level, with the exception of the city gate. Stratum IVA at Megiddo was converted into a "chariot city". In Yadin's opinion, city gate 2156 continued to be in use for stratum VA—IVB but its floor level was raised by some 1.5 to 2 m. Aharoni and Ussishkin believe that the gate had only one phase25. The building of stratum IVA took place in the second quarter of the ninth century BC., during king Ahab's reign. Under Ahab, the kingdom of Israel experienced a boom in public building (at Samaria, Dan, and Hazor) far exceeding the activities of Solomon's time. According to the pottery finds, they are assigned to the ninth and eighth centuries BC.26 22 Y. AHARONI, - Y. YADIN, - Y. SHILOH, «Megiddo», 1017. 23 Y. AHARONI, - Y. YADIN, - Y. SHILOH, «Megiddo», 1017. 24 Y. AHARONI, - Y. YADIN, - Y. SHILOH, «Megiddo», 1019. 25 Y. AHARONI, - Y. YADIN, - Y. SHILOH, «Megiddo», 1020. 26 Y. AHARONI, - Y. YADIN, - Y. SHILOH, «Megiddo», 1021.
