We will start our day at the City of David, the place where it all began. King David conquered this Jebusite city over 3000 years ago, and made it the eternal capital of the Jewish people. Tour what some archaeologists believe are the foundations of King David’s palace, see evidence of the destruction of Jerusalem in 586 BCE, go underground into the Jebusite water system built in 1800 BCE, and then giggle and splash as you wade through the chilly waters of the pitch-black King Hezekiah’s Tunnel, dug out to supply spring water to Jerusalem in anticipation of the siege of the year 700 BCE. Don’t forget your water shoes and flashlights!  We end at the Siloam Pool, where Jewish pilgrims, in Jerusalem for the three yearly Jewish festivals, congregated as they began their ascent to the Temple grounds.

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From the Siloam pool we will exit to the Kidron Valley- our local version of "the Valley of the King" with beautifully build shrines and headstones of kings, royalty and high priests from the days of the second temple.

 

From there we will walk up to The Davidson Center,  an archaeological park located at the southwestern corner of the Temple Mount. Explore the Southern Wall Excavations, to see the market place where Jewish pilgrims purchased all the necessary items needed and the mikvehs (ritual baths) they used before entering Holy Temple grounds.

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We will explore the Jewish Quarter of the Old City including the Cardo (the ancient marketplace from Roman times) and the Broad Wall , built in preparation of the Assyrian siege.

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We will end the day at the Tower of David- a Crusader Citadel. and we will visit the new excavation in the tower, where evidence of Herod's palace were recently discovered.

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