“And You Counted the Houses of Jerusalem and Pulled Houses Down to Fortify the Wall” (Isaiah 22:10): The Fortifications of Iron Age II Jerusalem in Light of New Discoveries in the City of David

Isaiah’s rebuke of Hezekiah, as cited in the title of this paper, pertains to many facets of the latter’s rebellion against the Assyrian Empire and his efforts to prepare the city for the oncoming siege. The verse from Isaiah clearly reflects a reality where the needs and aspirations of the dominant political entity come before, and at the expense of, individual needs. Isaiah relates to adaptations made by King Hezekiah to domestic structures of the city to allow for the construction of new fortifications. Whether this is an accurate description of the events that took place in Jerusalem on the