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)