Monolith of Silwan

Monolith of Silwan
The tomb (the bungalow-like building), and surrounding area

The Monolith of Silwan, also known as the Tomb of Pharaoh's daughter is a cuboid rock-cut tomb located in Silwan, Jerusalem dating form the period of the Kingdom of Judah; the latter name refers to a recent tradition that the tomb was built by Solomon for his Egyptian wife.[1] The structure, a typical Israelite rock-cut tomb, was previously capped by a pyramid structure; the cap was cut into pieces and removed for quarry,[2] during the roman era.[3] The tomb contains a single stone bench, indicating that it was designed for only one burial.[4]

The Pharaoh's daughter tradition was first suggested by Louis Félicien de Saulcy,[2] who noted that the bible claims that Solomon built a temple for his Egyptian wife;[5] de Saulcy, excavating the site in the 19th century, suggested that this might be the same building.[2] However, subsequent archaeological investigation has dated the site to the 9th-7th Century BC,[4][6] making the connection to Solomon impossible.

Two letters of a Hebrew inscription survive on the building, the remainder of the inscription having been mutilated beyond recognition, by a hermit in the Byzantine era;[3] the hermit punched a hole through the inscription in order to gain access to the tomb, which he then resided in.[3] Further degradation has occurred in recent years, giving it an unkempt look

References

  1. ^ [1]"Silwan, Jerusalem: The Survey of the Iron Age Necropolis," David Ussishkin, Tel Aviv University webpage.
  2. ^ a b c Jerome Murphy-O'Connor, The Holy Land, (2008), page 118
  3. ^ a b c Dave Winter, Israel handbook, page 174
  4. ^ a b Daniel Jacobs, Rough Guide to Jerusalem (1999), page 114
  5. ^ 1 Kings 3:1
  6. ^ Avigao, (1954)



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