Excavating in the City of David—one of the most ancient parts of Jerusalem—a group of archaeologists discovered the capital of a stone column decorated with symbols associated with royal buildings from the First Temple period. Tzvi Joffre describes what happened next:
While lifting the capital out of the ground, [the excavators] were stunned to find not only that the stone was decorated on both sides, but that there was yet another identical capital directly underneath it. A third identical stone was found nearby. The stones seem to have been hidden intentionally due to their seemingly careful placement. It may have been the only thing that saved them from being destroyed. . . . Why the stones were so carefully hidden may never be known, he added.
The capitals are linked to the Davidic dynasty because such designs from the period . . . have only been found within the areas [the dynasty] ruled. . . . Besides the capitals, additional artifacts found at the site indicate a royal or noble building as well, including a toilet—an [feature] only found in the homes of the wealthy in that period.
Using evidence from artifacts found at the site and the level at which they were found, archaeologists dated the capitals to the 7th century BCE, between the rule of King Hezekiah and the Babylonian conquest and destruction of Jerusalem.
“This . . . is really a once-in-a-lifetime discovery,” the City of David Foundation vice-president Doron Spielman said.
Read more on Jerusalem Post: https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/davidic-dynasty-symbol-found-in-jerusalem-once-in-a-lifetime-discovery-640929