City of David Ancient Jerusalem

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City of David Ancient Jerusalem Check it out! http://www.cityofdavid.org.il/en Today, the story of the City of David continues.
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The story of the City of David began over 3,000 years ago, when King David left the city of Hebron for a small hilltop city known as Jerusalem, establishing it as the unified capital of the tribes of Israel. Years later, David's son, King Solomon, built the First Temple next to the City of David on top of Mount Moriah, the site of the binding of Isaac, and with it, this hilltop became one of the most important sites in the world. Deep underground, the City of David is revealing some of the most exciting archeological finds of the ancient world. While above ground, the city is a vibrant center of activity with a visitor's center that welcomes visitors for an exciting tour to the site where much of the Bible was written. The tour of the City of David begins with a breathtaking observation point overlooking Biblical Jerusalem which sends visitors 3,800 years back in time to the days of Abraham, when the first foundations of the city were laid. As one moves through the site, one comes in contact with archaeological excavations and thrilling biblical finds that span thousands of years of history including both First and Second Temple Jerusalem. The tour continues underground to the Gihon Spring, the major water source of Jerusalem for over 1,000 years. Visitors seeking adventure can trek through knee deep water in King Hezekiah's 2,700 year old water tunnel, one of the wonders of early engineering. Continuing to the Shiloah Pool, the major water drawing source in biblical times, one reaches the Herodian Road, the ancient thoroughfare that led pilgrims north to the Temple. We welcome you to come see for yourself the place where it all began...

The sea squill is blooming, signaling that autumn is on its way 🍃🪻But here, it tells a much more ancient story.According...
12/10/2026

The sea squill is blooming, signaling that autumn is on its way 🍃🪻
But here, it tells a much more ancient story.

According to Jewish sources, Joshua used sea squill plants to mark the boundaries of the Land of Israel in ancient times (Babylonian Talmud, Bava Batra 56a).

Thousands of years have passed, borders have shifted, and the landscape has changed — yet the sea squill continues to emerge from the earth, year after year, connecting the nature we see today with the stories written here thousands of years ago.

📍 Pictured: A blooming sea squill in the Valley of Hinnom, Jerusalem

📷 Photo: Kobi Harati

Rosh Chodesh CheshvanThe holidays are behind us, autumn is here, and all eyes turn to the skies in anticipation of rain....
11/10/2026

Rosh Chodesh Cheshvan

The holidays are behind us, autumn is here, and all eyes turn to the skies in anticipation of rain.

In ancient Jerusalem, the hope for water was far more than a quiet wish, it was essential to the city’s survival, as the Gihon Spring was Jerusalem’s only natural source of water.

As we begin the month in which we once again pray for rain, we are reminded of Jerusalem’s ancient past:

Without water, there is no life. And without the Gihon Spring, the story of Jerusalem would have looked very different.

Wishing you a wonderful and rainy month from Jerusalem! 💦

📸 Photo: Eliyahu Yanai

"Being a person who connects people, places, and hearts – is a mission."Master Sergeant Israel Amichai Vitzan fell in ba...
07/10/2026

"Being a person who connects people, places, and hearts – is a mission."

Master Sergeant Israel Amichai Vitzan fell in battle on 7.10.23 at Kerem Shalom. He was 33. He leaves behind his wife, five children, his parents, and seven brothers and sisters.

On Saturday morning, Amichai was at the kibbutz. When the sirens and the sounds of explosions began, he left his home to defend the community's houses together with his friends from the standby squad. He did not hesitate for a moment, and before leaving he said: "This is exactly what we've been training for all our lives." For hours he fought alongside his comrades against the terrorists who had infiltrated the kibbutz, and together they succeeded in protecting the residents. Throughout those hours he did not forget his role as the head of his family. With sensitivity and composure, he updated his wife on what was happening and asked her to make sure the children kept on being happy, dancing, and celebrating Simchat Torah. In one of the recordings, in the midst of the fighting, he said: "The Eternal One of Israel does not lie."

At eleven o'clock before noon, he was hit by a terrorist's fire and killed.

Light a candle in his memory: https://www.710360.kan.org.il/memorial/669

24/09/2026

Two thousand years ago, right around this time of Sukkot, tens of thousands of people were on the road - all heading in the same direction: Jerusalem.

The pilgrims walked for days on end to reach the city together, for the holiday, for the Temple.

The video "Brothers on a Journey," from Machon Megalim, follows a family doing exactly that: the road, the hardship, the excitement, and then the moment the city comes into view.
You're welcome to watch it with the kids 🎬

What can the latest archaeological discoveries tell us about ancient Jerusalem?The recent City of David Research Confere...
16/09/2026

What can the latest archaeological discoveries tell us about ancient Jerusalem?

The recent City of David Research Conference brought together leading archaeologists and researchers to present new discoveries and fresh perspectives on some of Jerusalem’s most fascinating questions: from the Pool of Siloam and the city’s ancient water systems to the Pilgrimage Road and the mystery of the Seleucid Acra.

A new article by JNS highlights some of the key discoveries and research presented at the conference, offering a closer look at what they may reveal about life in ancient Jerusalem.

Read the full article >> https://bit.ly/4iqUG7M

Photo: Audience at the 27th City of David Research Conference in Jerusalem Credit: Eliyahu Yanai

14/09/2026

Jerusalem had already been destroyed, and yet there remained a small remnant of hope.

The Babylonians did not leave Jewish rule here, but they did appoint a Jewish governor to administer what remained of the land: Gedaliah ben Achikam.

For a moment, it seemed possible to begin rebuilding the city.

Then, on the 3rd of Tishrei, Ishmael ben Netaniah assassinated Gedaliah and murdered him, along with those who were with him at Mitzpah.

This murder did not merely bring down a leader. It extinguished the last ember of Jewish independence in the land at that time, and caused another wave of flight from the land.

For this reason, this day was established as a fast day.

In the excavations in the City of David, one can see direct evidence of this exact period: a layer of burning, shattered pottery vessels, arrows that survived from the battle over the city.

Watch the video by the Megalim Institute about the story of the Babylonian destruction

How is it that the new year begins specifically in the seventh month?According to the counting of months in the Bible, N...
13/09/2026

How is it that the new year begins specifically in the seventh month?

According to the counting of months in the Bible, Nisan is the first month, and Tishrei is actually the seventh. And yet, for thousands of years, Tishrei has been for us a time of beginning - Rosh Hashanah, days of renewal, soul-searching, and hope for the coming year.

There's a beautiful reminder in this:
A new beginning doesn't have to come when everything starts from zero. Sometimes it comes right in the middle of the journey - out of everything we've already been through, learned, and gathered.

And here, in the City of David, a place where past and present meet every day, this meaning takes on another layer.

Good month and good year from the City of David 🤍

We can give ourselves a pat on the back. We have reached the final month of the year.It is a time to look back at the jo...
13/08/2026

We can give ourselves a pat on the back. We have reached the final month of the year.

It is a time to look back at the journey we have taken, at what we have achieved, and at the goals we set for ourselves.
In Jewish tradition, this is the month of mercy and forgiveness. After making our way through the year, the time has come for self-reflection and for setting our intentions for the year ahead.

It may be a somewhat solemn month, a time of turning inward, but there is also something liberating about it: processing what has been, asking for forgiveness, forgiving others, and setting out on a new path after bringing the year that has ended to a close.

And through this reflection, we can also remember the strength within us, lift our heads, and choose to rise once again:

“If you desire it, human being…
Rise higher, rise.
For you possess great strength;
You have wings of spirit,
The mighty wings of eagles.
Do not deny them,
Lest they fail you.
Seek them,
And they will be yours at once.”

(Rabbi Abraham Isaac Kook)

Photo: Kobi Harati

Jerusalem's influence extends far beyond its ancient walls. A new Fox News opinion piece explores how the biblical and h...
29/07/2026

Jerusalem's influence extends far beyond its ancient walls.
A new Fox News opinion piece explores how the biblical and historical legacy of Jerusalem helped shape ideals that influenced America's founding.
For more than 3,000 years, the City of David has stood at the heart of that story - where Jerusalem began.

Read the article: https://www.foxnews.com/opinion/bedrock-american-liberty-laid-in-jerusalem

Fox News

Photo by: Koby Harati

30/06/2026

We were honored to welcome Montana Tucker to the City of David and the Pilgrimage Road - one of the most meaningful and inspiring places in Jerusalem. 💛

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Shiloach Village
Jerusalem
97400

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