city of david pilgrimage road tour

City of David Ir David Tours & Water Tunnel

The City of David was built over 3,000 years ago, when King David left the city of Hevron 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.

Today, the City of David is an exciting ancient attraction with a vibrant visitor’s center that welcomes visitors for an exciting tour to the site, archaeological digs, jeep rides, segway tours, and a famous water hike. These activities are great for ages 5+ and especially for teenagers. You can bring your own tour guide or request a guide when you make a reservation.

VIRTUAL TOURS

The City of David is always a family-friendly, fun and exciting adventure. Thankfully, they’ve curated the same energy into their online platform! Visiting the website you will find podcasts, videos, stories, coloring and activity pages for kids, promising hours of mystery and fun! The adults can enjoy the TOGO history tidbits, and the virtual 360-Degree tour is a family must!  More Info

The Madness and Magnificence of Herod the Great – Ahron Horovitz

King Herod was one the great builders of the ancient world, his crowning glory being the rebuilding of the temple in Jerusalem whose magnificence out shown anything built in the Roman empire. But Herod was also a cruel tyrant whose frenzied purges of his enemies, both real and imagined brought many to believe that he was clinically insane. This short lecture will delve into the workings of the diabolical mind of Herod and seek the logic behind his actions.

“Real” Indiana Jones: Uncover the ark in the City of David – Dr. Shahar Shilo

In the year 586 BCE, Jerusalem was destroyed and the treasures of the Jewish Temple looted by Nebuchadnezzar, King of Babylon. Surprisingly, the Ark of the Covenant was not mentioned in the list of the sacred vessels taken from the Temple. Over 2,500 years later, a British expedition led by Captain Montague Parker arrived in Jerusalem, then under Turkish rule, on a quest to uncover the Holy Ark and the hidden treasures of the Temple. This fascinating webinar will relate the incredible events of this expedition and the mysterious secrets it uncovered.

Live Behind-the-Scenes Tour –  The Pilgrimage Road Revealed

Join us for an experience in the heart of Ancient Jerusalem. The Pilgrimage Road in the City of David is the very thoroughfare used by the ancient Jews to ascend to the Temple thousands of years ago during the Passover festival. Archaeologically documented and with inscriptions that match names found in the Bible, the Pilgrimage Road is likely the most important archaeological discovery made in decades in Jerusalem. City of David Vice Presidents Doron Spielman and Oriya Dasberg open the doors to this closed excavation for a rare peak at one of the world’s most precious places, a place where billions of people around the world can trace their roots.

CITY OF DAVID TOURS

Biblical city of david tour.

Tour the heart of ancient Jerusalem, the city of Kings and Prophets, where the books of the Bible were written.

Journey through the underground tunnels through which the city was conquered and residents fled. Go down to the hidden spring where kings were coronated. Explore the underground mysteries of Hezekiah’s Tunnel, where water has flowed since the time of the prophets. Join the mysterious, magical journey between ancient shafts, walls and fortresses at the City of David, the place where Jerusalem began. – The Byzantine Pool – The Gihon Spring – Warrens Shaft

FIJ TIP: In the summer, the Hizkiyahu Water Tunnels are a MUST SEE activity. There are lockers to rent for your dry clothes and make sure to take a few shekel with you in case you want to return after the tunnels by cab to the main entrance.

The Temple Mount Ascent Tour

From the City of David to the Western Wall – New! The Herodian Water Channel leading to the Western Wall

A new tour in the City of David brings us on a journey back to the Second Temple period, where, as a result of new discoveries, one can now walk in the footsteps of ancient pilgrims.

Thanks to recent excavations, one can now walk the streets of Second Temple Jerusalem and be amazed by its splendor.

FIJ TIP: The walking tour is approximately 1½ hours long and is appropriate for people of all ages and children aged 4 and up.

HALLELUJAH Nighttime Sound & Light Show

The City of David’s Nighttime Presentation tells the story of our return to rebuild ancient Jerusalem. A thrilling, outdoor cinematic experience of lights projected onto the ancient ruins in the actual site where this story unfolded. Under the stars of Jerusalem’s night sky, cutting-edge video mapping technology, the first of its kind in Israel, reveals a story 2,500 years in the making.

Armon Hanatziv Tours & Attractions

Segway Tour in Jerusalem

Experience the majesty of Jerusalem’s stunning Peace Forest on a Segway ride through the heart of the city with views of the Old City.

Hasmonean Aqueduct Tour

More than two thousand years ago, two long and magnificent aqueducts were constructed to bring water from the Pools of Solomon (near Bethlehem) to the Temple. Tour the aqueducts with illuminated flashlights and learn about this magnificent feat of ancient engineering.

Outdoor Jerusalem Trivia

Know a lot about Jerusalem? With a map, trivia cards and cell phone in hand, navigate your way through Armon Hanatziv by answering questions and solving riddles about the ancient city. A fun and challenging experience for families, groups and organizations that encourages bonding and team building. HEBREW

Mount of Olives Tours & Attractions:

A magical experience in absalom’s pillar –.

Journey back in time as you explore these centuries-old structures surrounded by the stunning landscape of the Mount of Olives, deep within the Biblical Kidron Valley. Follow the now-dry riverbed to see monumental rock-cut structures and tombstones, including Absalom’s Pillar, the Tomb of Zechariah and Tomb of the Sons of Hezir, carved into the mountainside by ancient artisans of the Second Temple period.

The Archaeological Experience in the Emek Tzurim National Park

Fun for the Whole Family – When was the last time you discovered antiquities from ancient Jerusalem? You can do it today at Emek Tzurim!

The seal of King Hezekiah, an Egyptian amulet from the days of the Pharaohs, Babylonian arrowheads, jewels, mosaic stones and coins – these are only some of the exciting discoveries found over the years at the sifting project in the Emek Tzurim National Park. Many more treasures are still hiding in the debris of ancient Jerusalem, and you have the opportunity to discover them!

Become archaeologists for a day and hold ancient history in your hands!

FIJ TIP: The area is shaded with a large tent so you can sift during the summer as well.

Legacy Tours of the Mount of Olives

The cemetery on the Mount of Olives stands at the heart of the Jewish connection to Jerusalem. Walk in the footsteps of history amidst the personal stories, traditions and burial places of the city’s most famous inhabitants.

Reservations - City of David

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Jerusalem Suspension Bridge

Israel has unveiled its longest suspension bridge, connecting Jerusalem’s Mount Zion to the Himnon Valley. It will open to the public soon. The bridge will make the Mount Zion holy sites & the Old City more accessible to pedestrians. Guests can continue into the Old City through Zion Gate. Some FUN stats about the project: […]

Family Camping in Jerusalem

A unique family camping site in the center of Jerusalem – in the middle of a forest. This special activity is brought to you by City of David. Go to sleep in the forest, wake up in the city! Walking distance from the First Station and from Yes Planet, a secure campsite awaits you in […]

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The New Pilgrim’s Route at the City of David

Allaboutjerusalem » Tour » The New Pilgrim’s Route at the City of David

Entrance Fees

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On the slope of the City of David south to the Temple Mount, where the Kidron valley and the Hinnom Valley meet, a 2,000 years old road was discovered just a few years ago

This magnificent pool was constructed 2,000 years ago during the days of King Herod, in Jerusalem’s glorious building tradition. This grand pool served as an important meeting point for Jerusalem’s pilgrims, who would arrive in the city to visit the Temple Mount on the three major Jewish holidays: Passover, the Feast of Tabernacles (Sukkoth), and the Festival of Weeks (Shavuot).

The pool is mentioned in the New Testament as the place where Jesus has performed a miracle, as he healed a blind man (John 9 7). An impressive road once connected the Shiloah Pool to the Temple Mount and served as the central axis for all of Jerusalem’s pilgrims and visitors. Shops and businesses once lined the length of the Herodian Road and enjoyed the road’s centrality and the wide exposure that they had to the many pilgrims who filled Jerusalem on the holidays. The way that leads from the Shiloah Pool in the direction of the Temple Mount reached 600 meters into the valley whose Greek name once was the “Tyropoeon” which means the valley of the cheese mongers.

During the Hellenistic Period the road was lined with the shops and factories of dairy product manufacturers, such that when the winter rains would come, the valley would be washed clean of the refuse and smells that were a by-product of the dairy industry. During Jerusalem’s Herodian period the road was paved and at its foot, the Shiloah pool was formed in order to store water for drinking and for the bathing purposes of the visiting pilgrims.

The road became more central and important because of the increasing pilgrimage phenomenon and because of the importance of the Shiloah Pool in the culture of the pilgrims. Specifically, the Shiloah played a critical role in the Libation Ritual ceremony – during which the waters of the Shiloah Pool were brought as an offering at the Temple Mount itself.

In the drainage channels situated beneath the road, impressive artifacts were discovered from the time of the Great Revolt against Rome. The channels themselves and the rare artifacts discovered bear a striking resemblance to the description of Josephus in his book “Wars of the Jews,” Volume 6, which tells the story of the Jews who hid “in the tunnels beneath the Shiloah.” Thus, this new excavation was able to authenticate Josephus’ moving historical description of the aftermath of the Revolt in Jerusalem. City of David is now offering a new tour to showcase this new “Pilgrims Route”. The short version of the tour begins from the pool of Siloam and continues to the Givaty parking lot next to the City of David visitors center. The tour length is about 1 hour.

City of David is opened as follows:

Winter Schedule (Beginning on October 3, 2011): City of David Tours (English): 10:00am, 2:00pm, Friday: 10:00am City of David Tours (Hebrew): 10:00am, 2:00pm, Friday: 10:00am Hasmonean Aqueduct Tour (Hebrew only): Friday only: 10:00am Segway Tour (English): 1:00pm Segway Tour (Hebrew): 10:00am, Friday: 9:00am, 11:30am

Summer Schedule (until Rosh Hashanah, September 28): City of David Tours (Hebrew): 10:00am, 12:00pm, 4:00pm, Friday: 10:00am, 11:00am, 12:00pm City of David Tours (English): 10:00am, 4:00pm, Friday: 10:00am Hasmonean Aqueduct Tour (Hebrew): Friday only: 10:00am Segway Tour (Hebrew): 10:00am, 4:00pm Friday: 9:00am, 11:30am Segway Tour (English): 1:00pm

Entrance to Warren’s Shaft and Hezekiah’s Tunnel is permitted until one hour prior to site closing time. Tickets can be purchased up to two hours prior to site closing time. A person who has bought a ticket for the last entrance time to Warren’s Shaft cannot continue his tour through Hezekiah’s tunnel . Paid parking is available at the Givati parking lot.

Tours in English are available on site for visitors. For an up to date schedule please visit http://www.cityofdavid.org.il . Group tours are available by reservation in advance. For information and reservations call 02-626-8700 or – [email protected]. For groups [email protected]

General admission pricing is 27 shekel for adults (about $8) and 14 shekel for children ($4). For those prefering a guided tour (highly recommended) the price is 60 shekel per adult and 45 shekel per child. Independent travelers that are members of Travelujah can receive a 15% discount in advance by contacting Travelujah.

Visit www.cityofdavid.org.il

Written by www.travelujah.com

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Underground Tour: From the City of David to the Western Wall

• Tour the City of David, now open to the general public
• Follow a guide into the underground tunnel, built in ancient times
• See the southwestern cornerstone of the Temple Mount
• Walk under Old City Jerusalem and reach the Western Wall
• See itinerary
• Professional guide
• Entry/Admission - City of David National Park
• Snacks and drinks can be purchased onsite
• There are lockers onsite that one may use to store small items. Cost: 10 NIS (about $2.50)
• Ma'alot Ir David St 17, Jerusalem The City of David is located right outside the Dung Gate of the Old City of Jerusalem. When exiting the Dung Gate from inside the Old City, turn left and then make an immediate right. The City of David Visitors Center will be on your left.
• Dung Gate, Jerusalem The tour ends by the entrance to the Davidson Archaeological Park, right inside the Dung Gate.
• Not wheelchair accessible
• Near public transportation
• Confirmation will be received at time of booking
• Not recommended for individuals with claustrophobia.
• Not recommended for participants with back problems.
• The tour route passes through an underground tunnel and also includes many steps. Therefore, this tour is not recommended for those with walking disabilities or those using wheelchairs.
• The tunnel is dry, and measures approximately 150 meters from the point of entry on this tour route. Visitors can expect a 10 minute walk through the tunnel.
• The highlight of this tour is the Pilgrimage Road and the foundation stones of the Western Wall. Visitors who are interested in walking through Hezekiah's Tunnel are invited to join our tour titled "Guided Tour of Jerusalem: The Biblical City of David".
• Most travelers can participate
• The tour route is not conducive to the use of strollers.
• Souvenirs, unique gifts, and gorgeous jewelry inspired by archaeological finds can be purchased onsite at The City of David Store.
• This tour/activity will have a maximum of 9 travelers
• For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours in advance of the start date of the experience.
• You'll start at Ma'alot Ir David St 17 Ma'alot Ir David St 17, Jerusalem The City of David is located right outside the Dung Gate of the Old City of Jerusalem. When exiting the Dung Gate from inside the Old City, turn left and then make an immediate right. The City of David Visitors Center will be on your left. See address & details
• 1 City of David National Park Stop: 90 minutes - Admission included Overlook Palace Excavation Givati Excavation Pilgrimage Tunnel Jerusalem Archeological Park Read more
• You'll end at Dung Gate Jerusalem The tour ends by the entrance to the Davidson Archaeological Park, right inside the Dung Gate. See address & details

• razbol 0 contributions 5.0 of 5 bubbles Great show A must see show with friends or family. Creatively done casting images on the surrounding walls. Music was beautiful. Read more Written August 11, 2023
• TheWolfofBoca 0 contributions 5.0 of 5 bubbles Water tunnel tour- you had me at water! A must experience when you are in town, literally a 2 minute walk from the dung gate near the Kotel. Walk out of the Dung gate turn left, then turn right and it’s right there, they tell you and show you the story of the ancient city of David, where King David held court, right next to the holy Jewish temple, they walk you through the history of Jerusalem and then you walk through the ancient water tunnels it’s around a half mile trek in complete darkness to bring a flashlight, head lamp, or buy a flashlight for 6 shekels before you go into the tunnel, only cash or coins no credit card machines down there, the water is cold but only goes up to your shins, make sure you take the under ground drainage system back up to the top of the hill rather than the shuttle. Read more Written August 3, 2023
• Dreamtowander 0 contributions 5.0 of 5 bubbles Informative and fun We took the guided tour of the excavations and the water tunnel. It was fun to wade through the tunnel and also learn of the engineering and historical significance. Definitely a must visit. Read more Written July 24, 2023
• Mfandml 0 contributions 5.0 of 5 bubbles Excellent experience Very interesting guided tour of excavated areas, including history and walk through Hezekiah’s tunnel. The wet side of tunnel is well worth it. Bring shorts, wet shoes and a flashlight. It might be challenging if you suffer from claustrophobia but it is really cool Read more Written May 12, 2023
• netaj2018 0 contributions 5.0 of 5 bubbles Terrific tour In March 2023 we took a Biblical City of David tour with Oren being our guide. What a great guide he was! As with the most of ancient ruins you need someone to explain, what you are looking at. Otherwise it’s just a pile of stones in front of you. Oren loves being a guide and it showed in everything he was telling us about. His enthusiasm was simply contagious. The pouring rain on that day did not really spoil the mood, because the facts we learned from our guide and the things we saw were so exciting. Oren was engaging the group with questions and stories. We would really recommend the tour and the guide. Read more Written April 5, 2023
• FatherofIssac 0 contributions 5.0 of 5 bubbles Must to do when visiting Israel Group guided tour and walking through the water tunnel in knee deep water was a memorable experience. Read more Written March 24, 2023
• pgreenld 0 contributions 5.0 of 5 bubbles Amazing site - highly recommend to go with a guide This site can be toured on your own, but we found a guide to be an absolute bonus (for a fee, of course). The archeology here is phenomenal, but linking it to the scriptural accounts augments tremendously. Read more Written March 3, 2023
• AilsaE512 0 contributions 5.0 of 5 bubbles Water tunnel is amazing We have just got back from doing this and loved it. We took shorts and flip-flops./sliders to change into at the visitor centre, and left our stuff in the lockers, do the water tunnel, which was an amazing experience. We were in it on our own and used phones as light, and I would strongly advise turning the lights off and standing still just to get a sense of how isolated you are in the centre. We then walked back to the start along the drainage channel, which ends up at the new excavations by the car park Read more Written November 21, 2022
• GranZorro 0 contributions 5.0 of 5 bubbles The Hebrew Bible comes alive - not to be missed! The story of the discovery of Kind David's city - below the walls of the Temple Mount - is in itself a fascinating feat of archeological "detective work". The tour through the excavations and the tunnels is not only an extraordinary experience, but it also confirms the biblical narrative concerning both the site itself and Jerusalem in general point by point. Take the 3 hours or more needed for this visit and go. Highly recommended. Read more Written November 18, 2022
• trumpet1234567899 0 contributions 5.0 of 5 bubbles touring with Maya excellent, i would suggest this trip for all . it was an amazing experience.asdfklajsdhflkajsdhflkajshdflkjashdflkjhasdflkjhasdklfjhalkdsfjhlakdsjfhlkdsajhlkasjdhflkasjdhflkajsdhflkjahsdflkjahsdklfjhalkdsjfhalksdjhflkasdjhflkasjhdflkasjdhflksajhdflkjasdhflkjashdflkjhasdfasdf Read more Written November 17, 2022
• 619jeffry 0 contributions 5.0 of 5 bubbles Back to the beginning of David's city The City of David National Park demonstrates the evolution of David's city from the earliest times. Archaeologists are still discovering clues to the early city. The remains of the early city can be found near the Western Wall, near the Dung Gate. There are quite a few stairs to climb, but it's worth the effort. By the way, David's son, Solomon built the Temple. Read more Written November 15, 2022
• R5842UIdavidj 0 contributions 5.0 of 5 bubbles Great site! Bring your water shoes One of the highlights of our time in Jerusalem. If you are interested in history, especially biblical history, don't miss this. We had a good tour guide that explained things well and left time for questions. Hezekiah's tunnel is a must see. We shoes that you can walk a good distance in water. The water can get up to mid thigh in places. Once out of the tunnel, you have 3 choices to get back to the top. Take the tram. We did not due to Sukkot crowds. It would have taken longer. The 2 options for walking back up are strenuous. The drainage tunnel has a lot of low ceilings so, you are bent over for a good portion of that walk. However, the overall experience is fantastic. Read more Written November 10, 2022
• NyFunnygirl 0 contributions 5.0 of 5 bubbles Interesting History of the Area and Times. We had an excellent tour of the site. It is relatively new in its expanded form. We did the dry tunnels, though there is an option to go through the longer wet ones. Lots of stairs and uneven terrain so be prepared. History and archaeology was knowledgeable presented by our guide. Read more Written November 10, 2022
• LiziLon 0 contributions 1.0 of 5 bubbles The Haleluia show was very disappointing The show has no purpose. It has no historical sequence, it focuses on a very limited historical period (the destruction of the First Temple until the establishment of the Second Temple) without giving an overall picture of the origin of the Jewish people (even in brief flashes). I saw a number of free light shows in Jerusalem (mainly at the light festivals in the summer). Each of them was much better than this performance which costs quite a bit and gives a pinch Read more Written August 31, 2022
• Londoner16 0 contributions 3.0 of 5 bubbles Hallelujah evening - overpriced and overrated We booked the evening son et lumière show "Hallelujah" at the City if David. It's very expensive, and not really worth it. First they show you the archeological excavations themselves, but the explanations are brief and uninformative. Nothing is said about dates or historical context. Then there is a projection of a story on the walls of one part, where you sit in an amphitheatre. The visual special effects are quite impressive, but that's the only good thing about it. It's a quasi-historical quasi-mythical account of a Jewish return from Persian exile to rebuild Jerusalem, with backward references to the biblical story of David. But again historical explanation is lacking and it's quite confusing. The narrative is low-grade and patronising, as well as propagandistic (the modern resonances of a Jewish return from exile to rebuild Jerusalem, in the teeth of hostile forces who don't want the Jews there, are not exactly subtle). Well worth missing. Read more Written August 16, 2022

More to explore in Jerusalem

Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.

Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.

Underground Tour: From the City of David to the Western Wall provided by City of David National Park

Navigating the biblical road to the Temple

'the jerusalem post' went on an exclusive tour of the recently discovered pilgrimage road in the city of david..

The Pilgrimage Road – Going up to Jerusalem

City of David The ‘City of David’ is the location of the Biblical city of Jerusalem captured by King David over 3,000 years ago. Located to the south of the Temple Mount, here David built his first city, before the Temple was built by his son Solomon. And according to the Bible (1 Kings 2:10), David was buried in the City of David (not Mount Zion, where there is now a tomb of David).

The original City of David basically lay hidden for many centuries after the destruction of the Second Temple in 70AD, and began to be rediscovered in the 19th century. Today it is still being excavated. As excavations are completed, the area is opened to tourism to further deepen visitors’ understanding of its past.

One of the sites that has been recently rediscovered is the ‘stepped street’, as it’s known from academic works, or the ‘Jerusalem Pilgrim Road’ as it has been dubbed by the City of David administration – the Late Roman period street connecting the Temple Mount from its southwestern corner, to Jerusalem’s southern gates of the time via the Pool of Siloam. The Road is still being excavated, and is closed to the public; it is expected to be open within the next year.

The Pool of Siloam became an important ritual bath, and source of water – King Hezekiah built the pool when he created an ingenious tunnel to divert water from the Gihon Spring, outside the city walls, to the Pool of Siloam (2 Chronicles 32).

Below: Moshe Gabay, director of Keshet Journeys, during filming of the Pilgrimage Road video. | Photo: Keshet Journeys

Construction of the Road National Geographic reports that historians previously thought it was the Roman-appointed King Herod the Great who approved most of the large construction projects that remade ancient Jerusalem into a major pilgrimage and tourist centre. But a recent analysis of more than 100 coins found beneath the stepped street point to the start and completion of the effort under Pontius Pilate, who ruled for about a decade starting in 26 or 27 AD. In other words, it was the Roman governor responsible for condemning Jesus of Nazareth to death by crucifixion, who ordered the construction of a street for pilgrims to follow to the Jewish Temple more than 2,000 years ago.

A worker walks at the Pilgrimage Road at the City of David, in the East Jerusalem neighborhood of Silwan, on January 6, 2020. Photo by Yonatan Sindel/Flash90

The latest coins discovered beneath the paving stones date to around 31 AD. The most common Jerusalem coins from the first century were minted after 40 AD, “So not having them beneath the street means the street was built before their appearance, in other words only in the time of Pilate,” Donald Ariel, a coin expert with the Israel Antiquities Authority, told the magazine.

The Road took ten years for the Romans to build. When it was completed, it was about half a kilometer long and measured 10 meters wide. More than 10,000 tons of limestone were used in its construction.

The Pilgrimage Road was travelled by Jewish pilgrims obeying the Biblical commandment to travel to Jerusalem three times a year for a Temple sacrifice – at Passover, Shavuot (Pentecost), and Succoth (Feast of Tabernacles).

Zeev Orenstein, Director of International Affairs at the City of David Foundation: “For Jews in ancient days, their pilgrimage began at the Pool of Siloam, a giant mikveh, or ritual bath, the size of two Olympic swimming pools. Pilgrims would purify themselves here before going up to the Temple to offer their sacrifices.”

Special Significance of the Pilgrimage Road for the Church According to Moshe Gabay, Director of Keshet Journeys, the Pilgrimage Road has special significance for Christians. “Gentiles also had access to the Temple, so they too would have cleansed themselves in the mikveh and climbed the Pilgrimage Road from the Pool of Siloam to the Temple. It is important to remember: the Temple was a place where both Jews and Gentiles could worship the one God, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.”

“By Jesus’ time, the City of David had become a poorer part of Jerusalem; richer people lived in what is now the Old City of Jerusalem. Because the Pool of Siloam was a public bath, it attracted many people. So it is no surprise this is the place where Jesus healed the blind man.

”As long as it is day, we must do the works of him who sent me. Night is coming, when no one can work. While I am in the world, I am the light of the world.” After saying this, he spit on the ground, made some mud with the saliva, and put it on the man’s eyes. “Go,” he told him, “wash in the Pool of Siloam” (this word means “Sent”). So the man went and washed, and came home seeing. John 9:4-7

Gabay: “The Pool of Siloam was also an important place during the Feast of Tabernacles. Here, the Jews took water up to the Temple, as the Feast of Tabernacles was the time when they started to pray for rain. They recited the words of Isaiah 12:3 – ‘With joy, you will draw water from the wells of salvation’. So it is very significant that when Jesus comes to Jerusalem to celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles, He applies Isaiah’s words about physical water to Himself as spiritual water”:

The tunnel system that was used by the inhabitants of the city in Biblical times to reach the Gihon Spring, and through which the water from the spring flowed to the Pool of Siloam later on, guarantees an adventurous outing in Jerusalem. | Photo: Shutterstock

“The Pool of Siloam is also quite probably the place where 3000 people were baptised on the day of Pentecost – the day the church was born”, Gabay explains. “It is likely that the disciples spent the days after Jesus’ Ascension in the City of David. When Shavuot, the Day of Pentecost, came, the Jews were gathered near the Temple in huge numbers. They stayed up all night preparing themselves to go up to the Temple for the Feast. It is possible that when Peter preached on the Day of Pentecost, as recorded in Acts 2, this would have been on the Pilgrimage Road. Many people would have been gathered in this area due to the ending of their Pentecost prayers, because the lower City of David is where the poor people lived. And Peter in his preaching specifically refers to David being buried there.

“On the last and greatest day of the festival, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, “Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them.” By this he meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were later to receive. Up to that time the Spirit had not been given, since Jesus had not yet been glorified.” John 7:37-39

The Pool of Siloam, at the bottom of the road, is also the only place where 3000 people could have been baptised at once. Then they would have ascended to the Temple via the Pilgrimage Road, singing the Songs of Ascent. Isn’t that beautiful? And now, after 2000 years, we will soon be able to walk these steps ourselves.”

The City of David The excavations south of the Temple Mount on the Ophel, where the City of David once was, are fascinating. Among other things, they show how the inhabitants of the city got access to water by ingeniously moving the water from the lower Gihon Spring to the Pool of Siloam. King Hezekiah dug a tunnel through the mountain to secure the water, and tourists can still wade through there today. An encounter with Biblical times.

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Koby Harati & City of David Archives

A new excavation of an ancient Jerusalem road expected to draw modern-day pilgrims

Inside City of David’s excavation of the ancient Pilgrimage Road, which once led directly to the Second Temple

JERUSALEM — On a recent Thursday afternoon, cars sped past the walls of the Old City while tourists gathered in small corners of shade. The city was alive with the chaotic energy that accompanies the end of the week, when the start of Shabbat is less than 24 hours away. Drivers navigating the East Jerusalem neighborhood of Silwan honked repeatedly, knowing it would do no good in the rush-hour traffic of Israel’s capital city. 

More than 15 feet underground, there’s another road, a quiet one, which is — for now, at least — off-limits to the people above. It’s less than a half-mile long, but its history dates back some 2,000 years. 

Known as the “stepped street,” or the “Pilgrimage Road,” the wide stone slabs that make up this pedestrian street were believed to be built by the Romans. The road was rediscovered by the Israel Antiquities Authority in 2004, after a sewage pipe burst. Archaeologists expect visitors to be able to walk the length of the road in two years, following the completion of an intricate excavation process. 

For more than a decade now, archaeologists have overseen an underground excavation of the road, using heavy iron beams to prop up the above-ground infrastructure while they hollow out everything that has accumulated on top of the road over the past two millennia. Historians and archaeologists assert that the road connected the Pool of Siloam, a Roman-era pool used by Jewish pilgrims as a ritual bath, to the Second Temple. 

Each year, hundreds of thousands of people visit the City of David National Park, a popular tourist attraction and historical site in East Jerusalem that oversees several major archaeological projects related to ancient Jerusalem and biblical history. But the number of visitors is expected to increase dramatically when the Pilgrimage Road opens, and the world’s Christians come in larger numbers to walk on a sacred stretch of ground that Jesus is considered likely to have walked. 

“I’ve been asked by many congressmen and many senators, ‘What is the likelihood that Jesus walked on this road?’ And I tell them, ‘A conservative estimate is almost certainly 100%,’” said Ze’ev Orenstein, director of international affairs at the City of David Foundation.

“In a few years time, people will literally be able to walk in the footsteps of their ancestors, in the footsteps of the Bible,” said Orenstein, the appointed tour guide for foreign dignitaries who visit the site. 

But because this is Israel, the tour that Orenstein offers at the City of David — and, specifically, the Pilgrimage Road — is not just a pass through a list of rote historical facts, but a political argument, made to convey to international visitors why he thinks Jerusalem must always remain under Israeli control. Israel annexed East Jerusalem after capturing it from Jordan in the Six-Day War in 1967.

The City of David Foundation has faced criticism for both its archaeological digs in the heavily populated Arab neighborhood, whose residents oppose the excavations, and for promoting Jewish settlement in Silwan.

“The City of David becomes the front lines for the battle over the heritage of Jerusalem,” said Orenstein, an American who moved to Israel 20 years ago. “Jerusalem’s biblical heritage, going back thousands of years, is not simply a matter of faith, but a matter of fact.” On the other side of that battle, in Orenstein’s view, are Palestinian leaders who have attempted to deny Jewish ties to Jerusalem. (Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas has on many occasions denied Jewish historical claims to Jerusalem.)

Regardless of the political controversy that surrounds the City of David’s work in this crowded modern neighborhood, the findings from its archaeological digs have reshaped historical understandings of ancient Jerusalem. 

On the June evening that Orenstein led Jewish Insider on a tour of the Pilgrimage Road, light bulbs illuminated his path as he descended the stairs from the top of the road. Metal arches, connecting the beams and metal slats that propped up the modern road above, covered the steps. 

Wherever an excavation was still in progress, blue tarps sat next to mounds of dirt. Orenstein reached into the pile and pulled out an object, dusting it off with his hand — something ceramic, most likely many hundreds of years old. The rubble is packed into bags and carted to another archaeological site, where it is inspected for other ancient objects like the pottery that Orenstein picked up. 

“The things that are being found along the Pilgrimage Road excavation today are primarily from a time capsule of about 2,000 years ago,” he explained. “It’s preserving the modern neighborhood while uncovering the ancient heritage.” 

At the bottom of the steps, next to the remnants of the Pool of Siloam, a small section is open to the public. A wooden market stand, with a fake goat and wicker baskets of fake fruit, stands next to the steps, meant to mimic the busy commercial corridor that might have lined the steps in ancient times. Jews would have visited the road on the pilgrimage holidays of Passover, Shavuot and Sukkot. 

Any would-be pilgrims who visit the site today will not emerge from the cavernous steps at the entrance to the Second Temple. Instead, once they reach the scorching sunlight of the Middle Eastern summer, they will arrive back at the center of a modern geopolitical battle over land, history and religion.

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BIBLE HISTORY DAILY

Road “where jesus walked” is re-opened to public.

Photo taken by Zev Radovan The City of David from the air.

The Pool of Siloam is a pool cut into the rock, adjacent to the ancient City of David. It was fed by waters of the Gihon springs, which would qualify it as a Mikvah for ritual purifications. The Pilgrimage road connects the Pool of Siloam, the City of David, the Western Wall and the Temple Mount, and had been thought to have been built by King Herod for use by Pilgrims, who would stop at the pool to ritually purify themselves on the way to the temple. Recent studies suggest that it was built after Herod’s reign.

The original Pilgrim’s road was 600 meters, of which the southern 350 have been excavated and are now open to the public. “Today, for the first time, once can walk along one of the main streets of ancient Jerusalem, get an impression of its sights and receive answers to fascinating historical questions… about the history of Jerusalem during the Second Temple period,” said Dr. Yuval Baruch, Jerusalem archaeologist at the Israel Antiquities Authority, as quoted in the City of David Foundation’s article presenting the unveiling.

The road was discovered under a potato field in 2004 when a sewage pipe burst, and municipal workers went in to make repairs. Advanced research methods were utilized to excavate without disturbing modern Jerusalem more than necessary. The excavation revealed much about the history of ancient Jerusalem. The residents, as indicated by the buildings and the coins that were discovered, were wealthier than had been previously believed. Ruins revealed even details of the diet of the people who lived through the destruction of Jerusalem.

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More on the Pilgrim’s Road and the Siloam Pool in Bible History Daily:

A Pilgrim’s Journey From the Siloam Pool to The Temple Mount

The Pool of Siloam Has Been Found, but Where Is the Pool of Siloam?

The Siloam Pool

Top Ten Discoveries

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Jerusalem’s 2,000-year-old Pilgrimage Road Preparing for Modern Revival

Massive project, which exposes road used by Jewish pilgrims during Second Temple Period, slated to open to the public along with Pool of Siloam in coming years

This road might not lead to Rome, though it is indeed Roman.

For nearly a decade, archaeologists in Jerusalem’s City of David National Park have been working hard to uncover the Pilgrimage Road and bring a 2,000-year-old journey to life.

A view of the Pilgrimage Road at the City of David National Park. The road is undergoing excavations. Dec. 28, 2022. (Maya Margit/The Media Line)

Hidden from view beneath the Arab neighborhood of Silwan, the underground road is marked by stone steps that lead all the way from the Pool of Siloam at the bottom of east Jerusalem’s Silwan Valley up to the foot of the Temple Mount, Judaism’s holiest site.

Northern perimeter of the Pool of Siloam. (Koby Harati/City of David Archives)

Also known as the Stepped Street, thousands, if not millions, of Jewish pilgrims once ascended along the ancient path to reach the Temple.

Though the site is not slated to open to the public for another two years, The Media Line recently toured it with archaeologists.

“This road’s length is approximately 600 meters (almost 2,000 feet),” Ari Levy, director of excavations at the site for the Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA), told The Media Line. “We still have approximately 100 meters left [to excavate] to open the entire road for tourists.”

Ari Levy, director of excavations at the site for the Israel Antiquities Authority, Dec. 28, 2022. (Maya Margit/The Media Line)

The Pilgrimage Road was rediscovered in 2004 after a sewage pipe burst in the middle of the east Jerusalem neighborhood of Silwan.

Since 2013, archaeologists have been digging right underneath Arab houses in the area, but some residents argue that the excavations have put their homes in danger. The Israeli Supreme Court has dismissed these claims and said that they are being carried out under the strict supervision of engineers.

Workers at the Pilgrimage Road excavation site rely on a complex system of pulleys to help bring dirt up from underground for sifting.

Workers fill buckets with dirt from the excavations of the Pilgrimage Road at the City of David National Park, Dec. 28, 2022. These buckets are then transported by a pulley system above ground for sifting. (Maya Margit/The Media Line)

So far, archaeologists have unearthed some unique artifacts, including silver coins that pilgrims would bring as donations to the Temple, cookware, and jewelry.

“Jerusalem in the late Second Temple Period was a flourishing city with a lot of people,” Levy related. “It was a Jewish city and a Roman city. It was built by the Romans for the Romans and for the Jews.”

One of the exciting finds is a replica of a stone with an ancient Hebrew inscription that reads, “to the place of trumpeting to.” This inscription likely marks where a priest would stand on the Temple Mount to announce the start of the Sabbath. Sign Up for Mideast Daily News Wake up to the Trusted Mideast News source By subscribing, you agree to The Media Line terms of use and privacy policy .

The building of Jerusalem during the Roman Period began with the works of Herod the Great, a Roman Jewish client king of Judea who was famous for his massive construction projects throughout the area, including the renovation of the Second Temple in Jerusalem.

After Herod the Great died, sometime between 5 BCE and 1 CE, Roman prefects continued to build up the city. According to Ari Levy, it was in fact the infamous governor of Judea Pontius Pilate who built the Pilgrimage Road.

“At the beginning of the first century CE Pilate basically paves the road that we’re standing on now and connects the southern parts of the city, Mount Zion, and the City of David to the main city itself, the Temple, and other parts of ancient Jerusalem,” he said.

According to Flavius Josephus, a first-century Romano-Jewish historian, at its peak, nearly 3 million people visited Jerusalem during the main Jewish pilgrimage festivals.

The road was one of the main arteries of ancient Jerusalem and once held a bustling street market.

A view of the remains of market stalls along the Pilgrimage Road, Dec. 28, 2022. The road, which leads up to the foot of the Temple Mount, once held a bustling market. (Maya Margit/The Media Line)

“This is the living heart of Jerusalem, this is the Fifth Avenue, this is the Champs-Élysées,” said Dr. Yiftah Shalev, co-director of excavations for the Israel Antiquities Authority. “This is the beating heart of Jerusalem where everything happened.”

Dr. Yiftah Shalev, co-director of excavations for the Israel Antiquities Authority, Dec. 28, 2022. (Maya Margit/The Media Line)

At the bottom of the road, archaeologists have also begun excavating the Pool of Siloam. Built some 2,700 years ago during the reign of King Hezekiah, the pool is where Jewish pilgrims once took a ritual bath before making their ascent to the Temple. It is also the site where Jesus is said to have healed a blind man.

Rendering of the Pool of Siloam, Second Temple period. (Shalom Kveller/City of David Archives)

Last week, the IAA, National Parks Authority, and City of David Foundation announced the official commencement of excavations of the pool, which once served as the reservoir for the waters of the Gihon Spring. It was considered to be one of the most important areas in Jerusalem during the First Temple Period.

Like the Stepped Street, the Pool of Siloam will be opened to the public for the first time in 2,000 years once excavations are completed.

A view of the east Jerusalem neighborhood of Silwan taken from the City of David National Park, Dec. 28, 2022. (Maya Margit/The Media Line)

Altogether, nearly 100 archaeologists and workers are involved in the ongoing excavations of the Pool of Siloam, Pilgrimage Road, and Givati Lot, according to IAA estimates.

The road leads up to the adjacent Givati Parking Lot area, where the layers and levels of thousands of years of settlement in Jerusalem can all be viewed in one place.

“At Givati, you can see remains of all of the periods at the same time,” Shalev said. “You can see exactly how Jerusalem evolved from a relatively small settlement towards a huge city [that was] then destroyed and rebuilt again.

Layers upon layers of history are visible at the Givati Parking Lot excavations in the City of David National Park, Dec. 28, 2022. (Maya Margit/The Media Line)

“The idea is not just to expose the road itself but to also leave remains from each and every period so that people will understand what it was like to live in a city like Jerusalem,” he continued. “The newest remains that we’re digging right now are slightly later remains than the road itself. We are digging through houses and structures from the late Roman Period, the Byzantine Period and the early Muslim Period, meaning from the fourth to the sixth centuries CE.”

The Stepped Street winds its way up and reaches Robinson’s Arch and the Western Wall at the nearby Davidson Center Archaeological Park.

It stands just below the Temple Mount and current site of Al-Aqsa Mosque, the third holiest site in Islam.

The Davidson Center Archaeological Park, which is under the purview of the Company for the Reconstruction and Development of the Jewish Quarter in the Old City of Jerusalem, is located right on the edge of the Old City, Dec. 28, 2022. Al-Aqsa Mosque can be seen (above) from within the park. (Maya Margit/The Media Line)

A pile of massive stones, which were hurled off the Temple Mount by the Romans, serves as a reminder of the destruction of the Second Temple in the year 70 CE.

A view of the massive stones from the Second Temple and part of the Western Wall at the Davidson Center Archaeological Park, which is under the purview of the Company for the Reconstruction and Development of the Jewish Quarter in the Old City of Jerusalem, Dec. 28, 2022. (Maya Margit/The Media Line)

The area around the Old City walls was excavated in the early 1970s following Israel’s capture of east Jerusalem during the Six-Day War in 1967.

“When they started to excavate in the early ’70s, they found all these stones,” Yaniv Levy, a tourism manager at the Company for the Reconstruction and Development of the Jewish Quarter in Jerusalem’s Old City, told The Media Line. “They decided to keep some of the stones to remember the destruction [of the Temple] but at the same time, they wanted to clear the actual road and find where people used to walk 2,000 years ago.

“This the road that the pilgrims walk on, Jesus walks on, and is an amazing piece of history that we can stand on,” he added.

Hundreds of thousands of tourists visit the Davidson Center each year, Levy said. The park holds a unique array of artifacts and places to view, including the original gates that once led to the Temple.

A replica of a stone bearing a Hebrew inscription found during excavations at the Davidson Center Archaeological Park, which is under the purview of the Company for the Reconstruction and Development of the Jewish Quarter in the Old City of Jerusalem, Dec. 28, 2022. (Maya Margit/The Media Line)

One of the exciting finds on display is a replica of a stone with an ancient Hebrew inscription – which reads: “to the place of trumpeting to.” This inscription likely marks the place where a priest would stand on the Temple Mount each week to announce the start of the Sabbath.

“At the southwestern corner of the Temple a priest used to go up just before the Sabbath and blow the horn to tell everyone that the Sabbath was coming,” Levy said. “We found the stone that fell from that corner.”

There are still over 300 feet of the Pilgrimage Road left to excavate before tourists can visit and walk in the footsteps of pilgrims from millennia ago.

Until then, visitors can take private guided tours at the City of David National Park, as well as venture to the nearby Davidson Center Archaeological Park for a closer look at Second Temple remains.