For years, scholars thought a long stretch of wall in ancient Jerusalem’s core was built by Hezekiah, the King of Judah. They figured it was a defense against the Assyrian Empire after the fall of neighboring Israel. But nearly a decade of new research has flipped the script. Turns out, the wall was actually put up by Hezekiah’s great-grandfather, King Uzziah, after a huge earthquake, just like the Bible said.
Before, everyone was sure Hezekiah built the wall to fight off Assyria’s Sennacherib. Now we know it was earlier, right after that big quake shook Jerusalem. This changes things and makes us rethink the city’s defenses and history timeline.
The Old Testament, especially 2 Chronicles, gives the lowdown on King Uzziah’s fortifying work. The Bible’s talk of towers in key spots in Jerusalem lines up with what archaeologists found, backing up the story of the city’s defenses and growth.