+Israel © MEA 20171213 (C79) Historical Sites in Israel -City of David
Historical Sites in Israel – City of David, Jerusalem
About three thousand years ago, King David left Hebron for Jerusalem, in his vision, a large central and important goal – the unification of Israel around one capital city. David`s son, Solomon, established the first Temple on Mount Moriah, which rises slightly north of the City of David. Here in fact, was created the first deep connection to Jerusalem by King David, which is embedded deeply into the history of Israel.
Jerusalem is situated on an eastern hill, towering to a height of 743 meters above sea level. The hill lies on the southern slopes of Mount Moriah, surrounded by mountains (as written in Psalms – Jerusalem surrounded by mountains), Temple Mount to the North, Mount of Olives to the East, Mount Zion to the West and to the South – Armon Hanatsiv (High Commissioner’s Palace) ridge. It had fresh water from the Gihon Spring gushing at its foot. Besides David and his son Solomon, this would have been the stamping ground of kings Hezekiah and Josiah and the prophets Isaiah and Jeremiah.
With the death of King Solomon, the kingdom was split into the Kingdom of Judah and Israel, and Jerusalem remained only the capital of the Kingdom of Judah. After the Assyrian conquest of the Kingdom of Israel and the exile of the ten tribes, a large flow of refugees came to Jerusalem.
The city expanded and encompassed the entire western hill, apparently including the areas today known as the Jewish Quarter, the Armenian Quarter and Mount Zion outside the walls of the Old City of today. During the reign of Hezekiah, the city was surrounded by a wall, and the Gihon Spring was directed into and under the city.
The City of David is actually the ancient core of Jerusalem, from which the city grew and developed throughout history. A collection of archaeological finds is a testimony and to a lifetime of activities that took place here before, during the first Temple era around 1000 BCE.
Today the City of David is a small magical hill located near the Western Wall. It covers an area of about 60 acres, from where one can enjoy a variety of tours and activities that take visitors to a fascinating historical journey, to the days of the First Temple, a period of ancient Jerusalem.
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