Can you imagine what it was like to stand before the City of David thousands of years ago? Right here in front of you, this site holds the secrets of the very beginnings of Jerusalem. The City of David is considered by most scholars to be the original core of Jerusalem, a place where Israelite king David conquered Jebus. It’s a place teeming with history, a place where you can truly feel the weight of the ages.
Excavations have revealed a defense network dating back to the Middle Bronze Age. They used the Gihon Spring. The water system remained in use for centuries. Two massive Iron Age structures were discovered at the site. The Large Stone Structure and the Stepped Stone Structure were built by the Jebusites.
Imagine walking through the Siloam Tunnel. It’s a rock-cut tunnel that was probably built by Hezekiah, a king of Judah, in the 8th century BCE. Hezekiah built it to protect the city’s water supply during the Assyrian siege of Jerusalem.
Today, the City of David is an archaeological site that is part of the Jerusalem Walls National Park. It’s managed by the Israel Nature and Parks Authority and operated by the Ir David Foundation.
You are standing on sacred ground, a ground that has witnessed the rise and fall of civilizations, the rise and fall of empires, and the rise and fall of religions. You are standing on a ground that has witnessed the prayers of prophets, the battles of kings, and the footsteps of pilgrims. You are standing on a ground that has witnessed the birth of a city, a city that has become the heart of the Jewish people and the Holy Land.