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| | TAU News - Brave Old World, Brave New Interpretation |
 | | The Bible holds that King David was a fearsome warrior who united the provinces of Israel and Judah in the 10th century BCE, and that his son, Solomon, was a great builder who fortified cities, established palaces, and erected the First Temple. |
 | | First, such a dating suggests that monumental building activity began in early Israel during the 10th century BCE, but that other manifestations of advanced public administration - such as monumental inscriptions, administrative ostraca, and inscribed seals - were not introduced until the 9th century, one hundred years later. |
 | | David's empire is thought to have been established in the 10th century, whereas rulers in neighboring Moab and Damascus did not consolidate their kingdoms until the 9th century. |
| www.tau.ac.il /taunews/98spring/megiddo.html (1031 words) |
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