In times of social polarization and political tension, voices are increasingly heard calling for separation, even suggesting a split into two states, the State of Jerusalem and the State of Tel Aviv. These ideas draw on an ancient past, when the people of Israel divided into the Kingdom of Israel and the Kingdom of Judah.

Yet the biblical account of a single united kingdom that later split in two is itself the subject of intense archaeological debate. Were the tribes of Israel ever truly united under one kingdom, ruling from Dan to Be’er Sheva? Or is this story more complex than tradition suggests?

In this episode, we search for archaeological traces of the kingdoms associated with David and Solomon, traveling from Jerusalem to Tel Dan. Along the way, we examine the historical background of this narrative and consider how these ancient questions of unity and division continue to resonate within Israel’s social and political reality in 2025.