Go to Estimating the Population of Ancient Jerusalem – Archaeology provides a new more accurate method for estimating ancient populations. Davidic Jerusalem was home to fewer than 2000 people. By Magen Broshi. Info below was extracted from that article. Also see the pdf of the article in DropBox and an epub copy on the Kindle.
- With the accumulation of modern archaeological data, we now have a far more reliable method of estimating the population of ancient cities, including Jerusalem. This requires only a reliable estimate of the size of the city and an understanding of the density of population in ancient urban areas generally.
- Extensive excavation in Jerusalem, particularly during the last 20 years, has now given us a clear idea of most of the city’s fluctuating boundaries during its long existence. Archaeology also provides us with a reasonable estimate of urban population density in ancient times…
- Based on the work of a large number of scholars working independently, we can say that the population density of ancient cities was about 160–200 persons per acre.
- King David
- captured the city about 1,000 B.C.
- The Jebusite and Davidic city sat on the eastern and smaller of two ridges that extend below the present Old City. (The eastern ridge is now known as the Ophel, the western ridge as Mount Zion.) The two ridges are separated by a valley.
- Accordingly, the population of Jerusalem during this period cannot have been much more than 2400 (12 × 200), and probably numbered somewhat less, say 2000.
- King Solomon (c. 965 B.C.–928 B.C.)
- expanded the Davidic city northward to include the Temple Mount area. There he built the First Temple and his royal residence…
- The Solomonic city covered almost 32 acres. We cannot be far off if we estimate the population of Solomonic Jerusalem at 4500–5000.
- King Hezekiah. (727–698 B.C.)
- The next major enlargement of the city of which we have archaeological knowledge occurred at the very end of the 8th century, apparently during the reign of King Hezekiah. (727–698 B.C.). …the western hill or upper city had been inhabited even before the late 8th century wall marked the expanded boundary of the city.11 Probably the city accreted on the west with unwalled suburbs until a new city wall was built.12
- Incidentally, this considerable and quite abrupt growth of the city is consistent with the establishment of new settlements in the Judean mountains at about the same time.13 In an earlier BAR article (“‘Digging Up Jerusalem’—A Critique,” BAR 01:03), I have suggested that this growth was probably the result of the arrival in Jerusalem of Israelite refugees who fled south after the fall of the northern kingdom to the Assyrians in 721 B.C., as well as refugees from the eastward migration of the Judahite population which occurred when Sennacherib in 701 B.C. punished rebellious Hezekiah by ceding a sizable part of Western Judah to the Philistine city states.
- The walled area was about 125 acres which, at 200 persons per acre, comes to about 25,000 persons within the city walls.
- The next major enlargement of the city of which we have archaeological knowledge occurred at the very end of the 8th century, apparently during the reign of King Hezekiah. (727–698 B.C.). …the western hill or upper city had been inhabited even before the late 8th century wall marked the expanded boundary of the city.11 Probably the city accreted on the west with unwalled suburbs until a new city wall was built.12
- 586 B.C. the Babylonians captured and destroyed the city. Jerusalem remained unwalled and largely uninhabited until the restoration during the Persian Period. The returnees had no need for a large city, however. Relatively few came back in the early years of the restoration.
- 440’s BCE – Nehemiah’s Jerusalem [restored] covered about 30 acres, a little smaller than Solomon’s Jerusalem because the eastern wall was a little higher up on the ridge. Its population was about 4,500.
- Hasmonean period (second century B.C.) – Jerusalem covered about 165 acres and the population may be estimated at about 30,000–35,000.
- Herod’s Jerusalem (37 B.C.–4 B.C.) The area enclosed was about 230 acres, but in computing the built-up area the grounds of the Temple Mount area (36 acres) should be deducted because it was not used for habitation. I estimate the population of this area to have been almost 40,000.
- Period between Herod’s death and the Roman destruction of Jerusalem in 70 A.D.,
- Jerusalem expanded considerably towards the north and northwest. (This was the only available direction for expansion, because in other directions the city was surrounded by deep valleys.)
- The area enclosed is about 450 acres. Approximately 80,000 people lived in the city.
