Nadene Goldfoot
Gerard Gertoux wrote in the opening of his abstract that "The David and Solomon's kingdoms are no longer considered as historical by minimalist archeologists. According to Israel Finkelstein and Neil Silberman, for example, authors of The Bible Unearthed: Archaeology's New Vision of Ancient Israel and the Origin of Its Sacred Texts, at the time of the kingdoms of David and Solomon, Jerusalem was populated by only a few hundred residents or less, which is insufficient for an empire stretching from the Euphrates to Eilath.'
How is it then, that we know so much about our history? We find facts in the Torah. You have to look in many sections, just as I have done in a simple encyclopedia. The information to answer such people was not lumped together for my findings. One fact has led to another fact to look into. That's the key. Time must be spent looking, for the answers are here to be found. This is only one source for the beginner. I'm sure there are other sources to be used, like original sources.
They suggest that due to religious prejudice, the authors of the Bible suppressed the achievements of the Omrides. The Omrides, Omrids or House of Omri were a ruling dynasty of the Kingdom of Israel founded by King Omri. According to the Bible, the Omride rulers of Israel were Omri (887-876 BCE) , Ahab (876-853 BCE) , Ahaziah (853 BCE) and Jehoram (853-843 BCE). Ahab's daughter Athaliah D(842-836 BCE) also became queen regnant of the Kingdom of Judah.
Elah, son of Baasha, was king of Israel for 2 years from 886 to 885 BCE. He was murdered by the captain of his chariots, Zimri, while the Israelite army was besieging the Philistine city of Gibbethon. Zimri was a general, then became king of Israel. He had murdered his master to seize power. When news of the conspiracy reached the Israelite army fighting the Philistines, they declared Omri king. Omri therupon besieged Tirzah, the capital city of Samaria (I Kings 15:21) which was Menahem's base of operations in his successful rising against Shallum. After a 7 day reign, Zimri set his palace on fire and himself with it (I Kings 16:8-18). Zimri died in 887 BCE.
Menahem was King of Israel (744-735 BCE) He gained the throne by killing Shallum. His brutal treatment of the citizens of Tipsah, who refused to open the gates of the city, is recorded in II kings 15:16). When Tiglath-Pileser III invaded Syria and Israel, Menahem was forced to pay him a heavy tribute.
Shallum was King of Israel in 743 BCE. He conspired against and slew Zechariah, son of Jeroboam II and seized the throne. After 5 months, he was killed and succeeded by Menahem.
Another Zimri was the head of a clan of the tribe of Simeon. He consorted with a Midianite woman. They were stabbed by Phinehas, the grandson of Aaron, and this action ended a plague visited on the Israelites for "COMMITTING HARLOTRY" with Midiantie women and worshipping Baal Peor. (Num.25). One can never say that our Tanakh (Bible) is boring to read.
There was another Shallum who was King of Judah, son of Josiah. Probably this was an alternative or even the original name for King Jehoahaz. (608 BCE). His father, King Josiah ruled from 637 to 608 BCE). This Shallum/Jehoahaz was King of Judah for 3 months in 609/8 BCE. He was crowned by the people after his father was killed fighting the Egyptians. Jehoahaz apparently belonged to the pro-Babylonian party since he was deposed and arrested by Pharaoh Necoh, dying in captivity in Egypt. Information was in II Kings 23:29-34.)
Omri was Israel's King Elah's (888-887 BCE) general. He directed the operations against the Philistine city of Gibbethon. Elah was murdered and Omri was dubbed King after Zimri's rule in 887 BCE. He faced a 6 year struggle with Tibni (I Kings 16:16-27). Omri forged the Sidonian alliance which exercised a marked influence on the development of the Israelite religion. According to the MOABITE STONE, He subdued Moab. The Assyrians called the kingdom of Israel by his name for the rest of its existence. Therefore, OMRI in their records is Israel.
Athaliah was Queen of Judah, daughter of Ahab and Jezebel. Her son, King Ahaziah, only reigned a year and was assassinated, making her so angry that she exterminated the entire royal family except her grandson, Joash, who survived only because his aunt, Jehosheba saved him. Jehosheba was married to the high priest, Jehoiada. Athaliah seized power and introduced the Baal cult into Judah. She ruled for 6 years when a successful revolt broke out in favor of Joash or Jehoash, and Athaliah was put to death for her rebellious behaviors.
Joash was king of Judah (836-797 BCE). when he was a year old, the throne was seized by his grandmother, Athaliah who had all members of the House of David murdered. He was kept hidden in the Temple by his aunt for 6 years. Jehoiada, high priest in Jerusalem then crowned Joash king and had Athaliah put to death. She obliterated the Baal cult and acted as regent until Joash's majority. Joash continued in the priestly tradition and restored the Temple, but later, according to Chronicles, deviated from his former uprightness. During his reign, the country was invaded by Hazael of Aram who was bought off with a large indemnity. Joash was killed by conspirators.
Moses is the writer of our Torah. He was an educated Egyptian who could read and write, something the slaves were kept from learning. Jews have the oral and written Torah, and have written down what they were told orally at the time of the Exodus. This is our vetting, our proof of our history. That's what Moses felt was so important to do. He was told through G-d what to do and write. Who among us has argued this point considering how lofty and spiritual are the commands of 613 laws and history we have received? We have had hundreds of rabbis discuss and debate from that time on the points we have received this way, like the famous RASHI (1040-1105 CE) who lived in France. Our Tanakh (Bible) is loaded with the comments on every point by these well-known rabbis. Many German rabbis gathered together and debated the essence and validity of our Torah and other writings in the Tanakh including the Talmuds both in Palestine and Babylonia. They did this in Worms, Germany, and in Mainz in the 1100s and 1200s. All their findings and comments are written down, usually found right in the Tanakh itself as it is in the Stone Edition of the torah and other writings.
Some Biblical minimalists like Thomas L. Thompson go further, arguing that Jerusalem became a city and capable of being a state capital only in the mid-seventh century. Thomas L. Thompson is an American-born Danish biblical scholar and theologian. He was professor of theology at the University of Copenhagen from 1993 to 2009. Thompson was raised as a Catholic and obtained a bachelor of arts from Duquesne University, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States, in 1962. He currently lives in Denmark. We know that Jerusalem was King David's choice for a final capital.
Therefore, his ideas of religion are not Jewish-viewed. Catholicism and Episcopalism are very close views. I beg to differ with their findings. I agree with Gerard Gertoux's views. He's a French Historian from Lyon, France. Maybe he knows about RASHI, the French rabbi. He's into ancient history.
Estimates of the area's population in history are disputed, but at the time of King David - approximately 1000 BCE - it is generally estimated at under 2 million. By about 100 CE, the population numbered between 2-3 million, and was at least half a million less by 1000 CE.Dec 30, 1999
Moses took 2 censuses, at the beginning and end of the Exodus. They had started with 603,550 and ended with 601,730. Over the 40 years, they had a loss of 1,820 people. This gives us a starting population of the people of the Exodus. it's listed in the Torah. We know that the Exodus took place 480 years before the 1st Temple of Solomon was built. Solomon lived from 961 to 920 BCE. The Exodus took place in 1445 BCE or 1500 BCE.
Under the leadership of Joshua, the 12 tribes conquered the Land of Israel and settled in territories on both sides of the Jordan River. For about 2 centuries, there was tribal autonomy, a period also known as the PERIOD OF THE JUDGES, as the central role of the national and tribal leaders was that of a judiciary. Famous names are Deborah, Gideon and Samson.
King David ruled from 1000 to 970 or 960 BCE. He was the youngest son of Jesse and was King Saul's armor-bearer. He married Saul's daughter. Our Tanakh depicts David's virtues and vices as it does with everyone. This is a difference between information found in Egypt and other places and Israel. Egypt and others have glorified their country and people whereas Israel's writer/s show both sides, therefore more historical and believable. We even know that Egypt has erased their walls if it told of another out of fashion fact. David captured Jerusalem in 1010 BCE. (II Sam.5:6-8)(I Chron. 11:4-6).
David dealt leniently with the JEBUSITES living there, but established himself in the city, adding the fortress of Zion and also a "House of Heroes" for his guard. He also constructed a tomb inside the city for himself and his dynasty. He transferred the Ark of the Covenant there and made Jerusalem the religious center of Israel. By his conquestss, he made it the capital of an empire reaching from the Red Sea to the Euphrates. 
Likewise, Israel Finkelstein an Israeli archaeologist, professor emeritus at Tel Aviv University. Finkelstein is a minimalist. He is active in the archaeology of the Levant and is an applicant of archaeological data in reconstructing biblical history and others consider the claimed size of Solomon's temple implausible.
We know that: The dimensions for the Jerusalem Temple King Solomon built: “60 cubits long, 20 cubits wide and 30 cubits high” (1 Kings 6:2).
As for biblical usage, scholars estimate the cubit at anywhere from 1.33 to 2.2 feet, says Joshua Schwartz, the dean of Jewish studies at Israel’s Bar-Ilan University, writing in the current Biblical Archaeology Review. The consensus appears to be the 1969 view of Arye Ben David that in Temple measurements, at least, a cubit was 1.84 feet. However, Asher Selig Kaufman is a “cubit minimalist” who puts the length at only 1.43 feet. Historian Kaufman specializes in aspects of the Temple Mount, the sector where the Temple once stood (called the Haram as-Sharif or “Noble Sanctuary” by Muslims). His short cubit provides the basis for controversial calculations on the location of the ancient Temple.
During the past five centuries, most Jews have agreed with Rabbi David ben Zimra’s belief that the ancient Temple stood at the exact site that’s now occupied by the Dome of the Rock. This is one of Islam’s holiest structures, commemorating what’s believed to be the spot from which Muhammad ascended to heaven.
The prophet Ezekiel’s vision of the restored Temple precinct: “Set apart for the Lord a portion of the land as a holy district, 25,000 cubits long and 20,000 cubits broad” (Ezekiel 45:1).
"Cubit, from the Latin word for “elbow,” is used in most English Bible translations when the Hebrew word for “elbow” refers to measurements." I guess it mattered how long the distance was from the elbow to the middle finger. That was a cubit or 1.84 feet. Frankly, i measure about 15 " or 1.25 feet, and I'm a woman and am about 5'1." The internet dictionary says that "The cubit, generally taken as equal to 18 inches (457 mm), was based on the length of the arm from the elbow to the tip of the middle finger and was considered the equivalent of 6 palms or 2 spans. In some ancient cultures it was as long as 21 inches (531 mm)..
A review of methods and arguments used by these minimalists shows that they are impostors for writing history. The historical testimonies dated by a chronology anchored on absolute dates (backbone of history) are replaced by archaeological remains dated by carbon-14 (backbone of myths). The goal of these unfounded claims is clearly the charring of biblical accounts.
A cave, unearthed in the Ophel dig in Jerusalem, contained coins with inscriptions that help us to precisely date them to the years 66-70 AD. But along with the optimistic message on the coins minted by the rebels who were fighting for freedom towards the end of the second temple era were later coins with a different message. At first the Jewish zealots were certain they’d win their country back from the Roman conquerors, but the coins dated 70 AD that were found in the same cave carried a different rallying cry: “For the Redemption of Zion!” By that last year of the rebellion, it had become obvious that their resistance was not going to survive for long, and that the best they could hope for was the eventual redemption of Zion.
In looking into carbon dating; nothing like our known history is taken into account. Bio dating math is used, instead. "Carbon is a key element in biologically important molecules. During the lifetime of an organism, carbon is brought into the cell from the environment in the form of either carbon dioxide or carbon-based food molecules such as glucose; then used to build biologically important molecules such as sugars, proteins, fats, and nucleic acids. These molecules are subsequently incorporated into the cells and tissues that make up living things. Therefore, organisms from a single-celled bacteria to the largest of the dinosaurs leave behind carbon-based remains.
Carbon dating is based upon the decay of 14C, a radioactive isotope of carbon with a relatively long half-life (5700 years). While 12C is the most abundant carbon isotope, there is a close to constant ratio of 12C to 14C in the environment, and hence in the molecules, cells, and tissues of living organisms. This constant ratio is maintained until the death of an organism, when 14C stops being replenished. At this point, the overall amount of 14C in the organism begins to decay exponentially. Therefore, by knowing the amount of 14C in fossil remains, you can determine how long ago an organism died by examining the departure of the observed 12C to 14C ratio from the expected ratio for a living organism."
Good grief, a horrid thought! This might be used on Mars remains if any are found and brought back. it sounds like a good idea until you compare it with our known history and wonderful archaeological finds already discovered that proves our known history from writing.
Resource:
Academia: Kings David and Solomon: Chronological, Historical and Archaeological Evidence , by Gerard Gertoux.
The New Standard Jewish Encyclopedia/Dr. Geoffrey Wigoder, D. Phil, Editor-in Chief from over 200 European-Israeli scholars....
https://mfa.gov.il/mfa/pressroom/1999/pages/israel-s%20%20population%20%2062%20million%20%20at%20%20millennium%20-.aspx#:~:text=Estimates%20of%20the%20area's%20population,million%20less%20by%201000%20CE.
facts about Israel, division of Information, Ministry for foreign affairs, Jerusalem.
https://www.britannica.com/science/cubit
https://www.jns.org/topic/archaeology/?gclid=CjwKCAiAg8OBBhA8EiwAlKw3krYqVdVFV9c-Qru1iDXB6eYBeVPiPGn2jsdt1HxF6a5gg-la9RXcKBoCjS4QAvD_BwE
https://www.oneforisrael.org/bible-based-teaching-from-israel/biblical-archaeological-treasures-signed-sealed-and-delivered/?gclid=CjwKCAiAg8OBBhA8EiwAlKw3kuEJFckcV48FeBp8w94JaZIiYZFR5W72hnwyJ564o0r8A9OAmq4sBRoCChcQAvD_BwE
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_Sea
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