City of David

MAY 14—After the death of Saul, David became king of Israel. The politics of power in his time were as tortured as they are today. So when it came time to establish his capital city, he made a very astute move when he chose Jerusalem. At that time, the city was home to the Jebusites, not to any of the 12 tribes. So David avoided potential charges of favoritism.

At the time, the city was not built at the top of the hill where the temple later stood and where so much brouhaha continues to this day. It was down a little way, right near a spring. As always, water is an enormous factor in living choices, especially in such a dry and thirsty land.

We were able to see remains and ruins of a several generations of cities on the spot. Here was a Jebusite tower built to cover and guard the water source and a tunnel cut through bedrock to allow access to the spring. There a remainder of the wall built by Nehemiah. Here the possibility of a palace room. There a circular stone with a hole: the oldest toilet in Jerusalem.

Later generations of Israelite kings made improvements to the fortifications of the city and protection of its water source. A long tunnel channeling water from the spring to the city was built during the reign of King Hezekiah in 701 B.C. It winds its constricted way through nearly 600 metres of bedrock, emerging in pool well inside the old city walls.

It’s a must experience for visitors to Jerusalem. We walked through the narrow, unlit passage in water above our knees. At times the ceiling was very low; towards the end it soared quite high. With flashlights off, the darkness is complete. Singing resounds beautifully through the thin corridor. Anyone with claustrophobia is well-advised to take a pass on this 25-minute underground adventure.