Jerusalem East - Mount of Olives and City of David

Jerusalem East - Mount of Olives - Kidron Valley - City of David

Mount of Olives

The Mount of Olives is identified as the middle limestone hill directly east of the Temple Mount across the Kidron Valley from the Temple Mount. From ancient times until now it has been covered with olive trees and it has been associated with many important events in Israelite and Christian history. King David escaped barefoot from Absalom’s assassination attempt over the Mount of Olives (2Sa 15:30) and Jesus told his apostles of Last Days from here while overlooking the Temple (Mr 13:3) from here. Jesus famous ride from Bethphage into Jerusalem (Mt 21:1, 2) on a donkey would have followed a path up the east slope of the Mount of Olives and descended the west slope past the Kidron Valley on his way up to the Temple and finally, according to Ac 1:9-12 is where Jesus ascended to heaven.

Today ancient olive trees still cover much of the hill and the top of the Mount of Olives gives the best view of the Old City, the Temple Mount and a panoramic view of Jerusalem.

Mount of Olives, East Slope, East Jerusalem, Israel

Garden of Gethsemane

At the bottom the west slope of Mount of Olives is walled garden with ancient olive trees that was enclosed by the Franciscans in 1848. According to tradition this is thought to be the location of the Garden of Gethsemane (Gethsemane meaning “olive press” in Aramaic) where Jesus prayed with his apostles and was arrested the night before his execution (Mt 26:36-56).

Kidron Valley

The Kidron Valley runs between the Temple Mount and the Mount of Olives and is joined by the Tyropoeon Valley and the Valley of Hinnom as it continues it’s descent through the Judean Wilderness all the way to the Dead Sea, and is mentioned as a landmark numerous times in the Hebrew Scriptures (Jer 31:40).

City of David

City of David (Eastern Hill)

The ancient City of David remains are found on a hill on the southern slope of Mount Moriah, outside the current city walls, bound by the steep walls of Kidron valley to the east, the Tyropoeon Valley to the west and the Valley of Hinnom to the south. This is the oldest part of Jerusalem, from which the rest of the city grew from, and was associated with Melchizedek the King of Salem in the 20th century B.C.E. and the Canaanites until the Israelites conquered the area 500 years later when city had become known as Jebus. It remained under the control of the Jebusites (a Canaanite tribe) until David conquered the city in the 11th century B.C.E.. Biblical Archaeology Review notes in Ancient Israel archaeologists have determined, without doubt, that this narrow spur, often referred to as the eastern hill, is the Biblical Mount Zion where David established the administrative and religious headquarters for the nation of Israel 1Ch 11:4, 5.

City of David - King Hezekiah’s Tunnel

Warren’s Shaft, City of David, Jerusalem, Israel

City of David - Hezakiah’s Tunnel

Jerusalem’s natural defense of steep valleys and massive walls was somewhat offset by its main vulnerability: it’s lack of internal water supply. The city’s source of fresh water was primarily the Spring of Gihon, located outside the walls in the Kidron Valley. An elaborate water system and tunnel built by the ancient Cannaanites to protect the water source which was discovered and partially excavated in 1867 by Charles Warren. This water system may have been the means that David’s army was able to gain entrance to the ancient city as recorded in 2Sa 5:6-9. In the 8th Century B.C.E. the Israelite King Hezekiah, in preparation for the the coming Assyrian siege, had a 533 m tunnel cut out of rock to bring spring water inside the city walls - emptying into the pool of Siloam (2 Ki. 20:20). The Pool of Siloam was also recorded in Joh 9:6, 7 where the blind beggar was cured of his blindness by Jesus.

Today descending the 30m vertical “Warren’s Shaft” exploring the ancient water systems, the tunnel of Canaanite times, the later tunnel of Hezekiah and the Pool of Siloam is an inspiring glimpse into one of the oldest and most intact engineering structures in history. Near the Pool of Siloam is the recently excavated central drainage channel from the end of the Second Temple period that was the route that some of the Zealots were able to escape the Roman destruction of Jerusalem in 70 C.E.. Today the whole tunnel can be walked from pool all the way up to the Temple wall next to Robinson’s Gate.

Hezekiah's Tunnel - Siloam Tunnel, Jerusalem, Israel

The Western Hill (Modern Mount Zion)

Jerusalem - The Western Hill (Mount Zion)

Mount Zion was originally the term used for the City of David (1Ki 8:1), the Temple Mount Ps 2:6 and for all of Jerusalem Isa 52:1. In the modern city of Jerusalem Mount Zion now refers to the Western Hill, the hill south of the Temple Mount and across the Tyropoeon Valley from the City of David. The Western hill was fully enclosed by the city walls at the end of the First Temple period and in Roman times it housed a large residential section, including the perhaps the mansion of the High Priest just south of the public buildings and palaces of the old Upper City.

Jerusalem East-Damascus Gate

Nablus Street and Damascus Gate, Jerusalem, Israel

Jerusalem East - Damascus Gate (Bab el-Amud)

The Damascus Gate (Bab el-Amud Arabic) was built in 1537 by Suleiman the Magnificent on the ruins of the earlier gate, possibly the one built by Hadrian in the 2nd century B.C.E. The gate is the entrance to the lively Arab bazaar and market place in the Old city and busy Sultan Suleiman Street and Nablus Road outside the gate.

daniel campbellMarch 28, 2020