Day 08 - City of David, Hezekiah's Tunnel, Holocaust Museum

Our next to the last full day of touring in Israel dawned with clouds that promised long awaited rain in the region. Unfortunately for residents, we had another pristine day. It’s winter here, and the lack of rain is beginning to raise concerns for locals.

Jerusalem is one of those cities that never sleeps, so the rush of traffic is ever present. So is the food! This morning’s breakfast offered a vast array of options to meet the tastes of travelers from around the world. Every single destination has been the same. In addition, our wonderful guide and driver have provided picnic lunches for us so that we can maximize our time.

We left the Hotel Dan at 8:15 (a leisurely start this morning), and drove to The City of David. Archeologists from around the world have been involved in study of sites throughout Israel, and none more intensively than The City of David which dates back 1400 years before Herod. Prior to 1967, the site was under the jurisdiction of the King of Jordan. Israel only gained access to the site in 1967.

The site is the source for studying ancient history through archeology. Through many different excavations, materials were sifted and revealed cut pieces of Roman marble, tiny pieces of stamped clay, and other artifacts that have helped correlate Biblical information with actual sites and dates.

The City of David had massive walls that would have supported an impressive structure above. This site was referenced in the Bible and has been authenticated through ongoing archeological digs. Among findings are artifacts that have the design of the King of Tyre. Samuel wrote (2 Samuel 2:5) about the king of Tyre who sent masons, architects, and materials to construct a palace for King David.

David was born in the city of Bethlehem and moved from the tribe of Judah to the tribe of Benjamin, which suggested that it was time for Israel to abandon allegiance to tribes and form a united nation.

Charles Warren discovered a water system created after the time of David that provided 40 cubic meters of water per hour. During David’s time the water shaft could not have existed as the people in the time of David had bronze tools that would not cut through bedrock.

During the reign of King Hezekiah, amazing work was completed to protect the water for the city by diverting the tunnel inside the city walls. A number of members of our group were able to walk the length of Hezekiah’s tunnel that ran for over half a mile through bedrock. The walls pushed in and down with only flashlights to show the way.

Hezekiah was a good king as he listened to the Lord. As Assyrians approached the city, Hezekiah took the letter from the king of the Assyrians to the lord. He lay the scroll on the alter. He asked for the Lord to show the strength of the Lord God by securing the battle before it began.

Outside the tunnel we saw the Field of Blood or the Potters Field where Judas Iscariot killed himself. (John 9:1)

We started our afternoon with a quick trip to the Israel museum. The exhibits we viewed traced the history of the Jewish people and the nation of Israel. Before entering the museum, we were given the opportunity to examine a large, continually changing model of the City of Jerusalem from the Roman era.

We ended our touring day at Yad Vashem, the preeminent Holocaust Museum in the world. This museum offered stark accounts that illustrated life of the Jewish people prior to the Holocaust and throughout the horrors of the Holocaust years. As we entered the museum, a movie showed a large group of children singing. The heart-piercing reality from the entry was that only three of the children would survive.

The emotional impact of the museum was powerful. The path through the museum took us through the atrocities that took place. This horrible time was marked by the fact that no one, including the United States, helped the Jewish population. Two quotes stood out for this writer: “Where they are burning books, there will eventually be the burning of people,” and “A country is not just what it does…it is also what it tolerates.”

The words of Rabbi Moshe Friedman, spoken just before his death, will stay in this writer’s memory for years to come: “Do not think you will succeed in destroying the Jewish people. The Jewish people will live forever…When he had finished…he cried out emphatically “Shema Yisrael!”, and all the Jews cried out with him “Shema Yisrael!”

As we approach our final day as a group, we are indeed awash in new information and new relationships. May God be praised.

Becky Sipe
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