Biblical Hebrew Forum

["Walter R. Mattfeld" <mattfeld AT mail.pjsnet.com>]

The recent discussion about the possibility of a palace near the temple in
Jerusalem is very interesting. I am of the persuasion that it is quite
plausible that temple and palace were near each other, on the citadel.

Excavations at ancient Samal and Tell Halaf of the 9th to 8th centuries BCE
support this view:

"The most important Iron I palace in early Israel would have been, of
course, the royal palace in Jerusalem. This is described in 1 Kings 7:1-12
(cf. also 2 Sam. 5:11-15 for David's palace), but no trace of this structure
has been (or ever likely will be) discovered. Similar structures, however,
which fit even the details of the biblical structure, have been found in
9th-8th century Syria at such sites as Zinjirli (ancient Sam`al) and Tell
Halaf. Here one finds, as with the Jerusalem temple, a location on the
citadel near the main temple, ashlar (dressed) masonry construction, etc."
(p.57, Vol. 5, "Palace," Wm. Dever, Anchor Bible Dictionary, 1992)

Ezekiel complains of Israel setting their thresholds and doorposts adjacent
to those of the temple:

"And the house of Israel shall no more defile my holy name, neither they,
nor their kings...by setting their threshold by my threshold and their
doorposts besides my doorposts, with only a wall between me and them...This
is the law of the temple: the whole territory round about the top of the
mountain shall be most holy." (Ez. 43:7-8, 12)

1 Kings 7:1-12, suggests to me that Solomon's palace was near the temple:

"His own house where he was to dwell, in the court back of the hall, was of
like workmanship...All these were made of costly stones, hewn according to
measure, sawed with saws, back and front, even from the foundation to the
coping, and from the court of the house of the Lord to the great court...The
great court had three courses of hewn stone round about and a course of
cedar beams; so had the inner court of the house of the Lord, and the
vestibule of the house." ( 1 Ki. 7:8-12)

Jeremiah suggests that the palace will be restored on its original
foundations after the exile:

"...the city shall be rebuilt upon its mound, and the palace shall stand
where it used to be..." (Jer.30:18)

All the best,

Walter Reinhold Warttig Mattfeld
Walldorf by Heidelberg
Baden-Wurttemburg
Germany