Day 09 - Jerusalem: City of David, Hezekiah's Tunnel, Pool of Siloam/Pilgrim's Path, Holy Sepulchre, Israel Museum

Day 09 –History – Old City Jerusalem

We are determined to make the most of our final days here in Jerusalem so we hit the ground running this morning!

City of David

A short walk away from the Temple Mount is the City of David. The City is a region of the lower area of the mountain that housed the palace of King David and later, the business and government buildings of King Solomon. The excavations are still ongoing and discoveries are being made every day! Yehuda told us about several, but the one that excited us the most was a discovery found in a burial chamber not too far from the city. Inside was a rolled scroll of metal bearing the inscription of the priestly blessing: “the Lord bless you and protect you. The Lord deal kindly and graciously with you. The Lord bestow favor upon you and grant you peace” (Num. 6:24-26). The scroll was dated to around 600 B.C. which makes it the oldest piece of Bible verse ever found.

Hezekiah’s Tunnel

We continued our walk from the City of David down into the water reservoirs that were used to supply the city. The tunnel itself was constructed during the 8th century to divert the Gihon spring into a more accessible source in case of a siege on the city. Several of us were able to experience the thrill of walking through the waterway, all 1750ft. It was completely dark and we needed to take flashlights with us to see. At one point we turned out the lights and had a few seconds of silence to imagine how the builders must have felt while digging.

Pool of Siloam/ Pilgrims’ Path

Luckily, the tunnel didn’t last forever, although some of us really enjoyed splashing through the ankle (and sometimes knee-deep!) water. The tunnel exited at a pool named the Pool of Siloam. This pool is mentioned in the account of John, when Jesus heals a man blind since birth. After covering his eyes with mud, Jesus tells this man to walk down the path from the Temple to the Pool of Siloam. The path from the Temple to the Pool is over a mile long and leads down the mountain. Why would Jesus tell him to walk over a mile, down steep steps, through the city, completely blind? It’s all about trust. The man had to rely on faith that once he reached the Pool, he would be healed. Even when it seemed impossible, he believed.

Holy Sepulchre

The Church of the Holy Sepulchre is the spot where many believe Jesus was crucified, buried, and rose again. This magnificent structure is controlled by several churches (Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, and Armenian). The church is built on top of a stone quarry that was originally outside of the city walls. It was a beautiful church and seeing the faith displayed by the other visitors around us was inspiring to see. Pastor Ralph reminded us that as spectacular as the church was, we need to remember that Christ is no longer there! We don’t have to visit a specific place to connect with His presence, He is available to us at any time or place.

Israel Museum

After doing some shopping in the old town of Jerusalem, we piled on our bus to visit the Israel Museum. Yehuda guided us through the exhibits and steered us toward the ones that would be of most interest to us, as it pertained to Biblical times. There were so many exhibits to look at; we could have wandered around for hours. One of our favorite items to see was a stone monument recovered at Dan, which contains the earliest reference to the House of David outside of the Bible! This piece was so incredible to see since it establishes David as a dynastic legacy. Not only did he exist but was also powerful enough that other countries name him as the ancestor of his line.

Only 1 day left and while we are ready to return and see all our friends and family, we are gong to miss seeing so much Biblical history on every corner.