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Jerusalem"s "City of David": A Biblical Treasure Hunt

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By Jeff Gordon • FJN Travel Columnist

Multitudes of tourists and religious pilgrims of all faiths visit the Western Wall, Dome of the Rock, and Church of the Holy Sepulcher. Yet, if one were to draw a circle around these spots, the center would mark a location that predates them all and offers tantalizing evidence of a critical part of Jewish history, namely, the City of David.

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Anointed King in 1000 BCE, David decided to consolidate the dispersed tribes by creating a central capital for his new kingdom. Ancient Jerusalem was a small walled city perched on a hill when David conquered it from the Jebusites. For approximately the next 400 years, the House of David ruled from this relatively small area over a tenuous kingdom with fluid borders. The Babylonians and King Nebuchadnezzar eventually conquered it in 586 BCE and sent the City of David into several reincarnations over the next centuries until it completely disappeared from view after the destruction of the Second Temple by the Romans in 70 CE.

Tzvi Goldwag is a City of David resident and tour guide for the current excavation.

"Israeli archeologists have recently cleared a new section of the City of David and discovered walls several feet thick that were separated from the rest of the community," Goldwag said. "Distinctive capitals have also been found nearby and these indicate that the place was reserved for a VIP. In my opinion, only King David’s palace could have been located here."

According to Goldwag, discoveries such as these seem to occur in Israel on almost a daily basis.

"When I come to work everyday I walk the site to see what has been found the day before." Goldwag says.

Even as we tour, he pokes his head under a large blue tarp that shades workers as they excavate and asks them about what they’ve found so far today.

Unearthing new samples of history has been occurring on a constant basis since Captain Charles Warren first discovered the City of David in 1867. Comprised of huts and ramshackle homes surrounding and in some cases right on top of the site, this Arab village was called Silwan after the Pool of Siloam or ‘Shiloach’ (in Hebrew). Searching much less finding any relics beneath an existing neighborhood would obviously be difficult and tension between Arab and Jew had left most requests to search denied by residents.

This dynamic changed after the Six-Day War of June 1967 when a local activist discovered that much of the valley and hill were actually purchased by Baron Edmond de Rothschild in the 19th and 20th century. Found in documents was evidence that he wished for the land to revert to the government if indeed a Jewish state was ever established. Litigation and confrontation ensued until the courts finally decreed in 1986 that Rothschild’s wishes were valid.

Jews now comprise 300 of the estimated 500 residents of the City of David/Silwan area. A large percentage of both work in the city and a cautious level of respect is now apparent.

"The key for co-existence is respect," says Goldwag who over the past five years has seen a growing acceptance between members of the different communities.

A tour through the site takes between two to three hours. A vital ingredient Goldwag’s presentation is connecting archeological discoveries to history. He illustrates this by carrying with him a Bible as he points out various sites and what appears to be their Biblical reference.

"And he [King Nebuchadnezzar] burnt the house of HaShem, and the King’s house; and all the houses of Jerusalem, even every great man’s house, burnt he with fire." During the digging, a substantial layer of ash was discovered throughout the city in the layer corresponding to the period of the First Temple’s destruction in 586 BCE.

Over the past several years, a residence was unearthed and determined to be that of a scribe in the royal court named ‘Achiel.’ Both the spacious size and its proximity to the Kings chamber were both evidence as to the importance of the resident as was the over fifty royal seals that were found below ground within the home. Once again Goldwag related several passages from Jeremiah that seem to clearly match these discoveries.

The meandering path continues past the Spring House, Warrens Shaft, and the Upper Promenade among others. A must see is Hezekiah’s Tunnel. This approx 1700-foot waterway was hewn out of solid rock as a way to bring the water supply within the city’s protective walls. Carrying water to this day, visitors are welcome to follow its course within the mountain and wade in the Shiloach Pool where the stream of water finally reaches. This collection pool is part of the original construction project that included the tunnel and pool by King Hezekiah in 701 BCE.

For those interested in getting a bit more hands on with history, the Israel Tourism Office offers ‘volunteering days’ known as "Dig For A Day." Upon contacting them, anyone can volunteer for a day of digging in one of several of the country’s excavations in progress. Not only will it be educational but also with any luck, the novice archaeologist may even discover a new artifact or two.

Jeff Gordon is a freelance travel photojournalist based in South Florida. For information on Jerusalem’s City of David tour, visit: http://www.cityofdavid.org.il or email Tzvi Goldwag at: tzvil23@gmail.com.


Posted by FJN Staff on 06/29 at 01:13 PM • Hits: 158



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