Beginning Jan. 6, 2011, nighttime tours will be offered in Jerusalem’s “City of David”- a city whose history spans the millennia, all the way back to the meeting between Abram and Melchizidek in the Valley of the King.
The City of David (the actual city of Jerusalem from King David’s time) was a Jebusite fortress at approximately 1,000B.C. when King David gathered his armies while reigning over Judah from Hebron. They captured the fortress by secretly entering the city through its underground water system! By his cunning, and God’s protection, David conquered the fortress and re-named it “The City of David.” (II Sam 5:9) It then became the religious and national capital of a united people.
The City, located on a narrow ridge southeast of the Old City, overlooks the beautiful Kidron Valley. Your tour begins with this breathtaking vista at the Hatzofeh lookout point. Visitors will then view a special 3-D movie of Jerusalem’s 1,000 year history.
The 75 minute guided tour then continues to the Royal Quarter (Area G) where you will experience a telling of the City of David through a sound and light show artistically displayed among the City’s newest archaeological finds from the biblical era. Among them you will see: Jebusite fortifications conquered by King David, 3-4 thousand year old homes, homes from the first Temple period and City walls from the 2nd Temple and Byzantine periods.
Music enthusiasts will appreciate the restful harp music playing in the King’s Garden – the biblical-era source of spices used in perfumes and incense. It is located just below the City where the Kidron and Himmon Valleys meet; the very place where King Solomon was anointed.
You won’t regret making this one of your stops on your journey to the Holy Land!
For more info, please visit the award-winning website:
www.cityofdavid.org.il which will also keep you up-to-date on all the biblical finds in the park.
Did you know that you can learn all about visiting Israel with just a few clicks of your mouse? Visit the official Israel Ministry of Tourism website at www.goisrael.com.