The City of David Visitors Center


The City of David forms the core of ancient Jerusalem. Here, for the first time, the capital of the United Monarchy was established by David, ruler of all the tribes of Israel. The prophets walked here, many chapters of the Bible were written here, and a number of dramas central to the lives of the People of Israel - events that caused Jerusalem to be what it is today – enfolded here.
Above ground, all that remains of the palaces, residential areas, buildings and fortresses is, at best, a pile of rubble. Only the underground water system in the City of David, which developed around the Gihon Spring, remains intact, and is today the main attraction of tours to the City of David.
Archeological excavations carried out in recent years led to the renewed conclusion that the system found in what is known as Warren’s Shaft, the fortified well, the Gihon canal and the pool carved at its end, are all part of one system built and hewn in the 18th century BC, during the Canaanite Period, prior to David.
The Gihon Spring, the spring with the largest capacity in the region, was the source of the city’s vitality. The stream provided water for drinking, irrigation and even for purposes of religion and observance. For centuries the residents stored the waters during times of peace and hid the spring from the enemies in times of war.
The city’s residents built a fortress above the spring, and dug a tunnel to bring the water into the walled city. During times of peace, the gathering of water was simple but troublesome: They had to descend the steps with the water jugs, fill them with water and then do the return journey with a full load. During times of war, however, the drawing of water was fraught with danger. The residents blocked the opening, and the water flowed through the tunnel to the water pool located at the bottom of the city, inside the walls.
In 1867, the British explorer Charles Warren discovered the tunnel and shaft named after him on the hill slope. He surmised that they served as a water pumping system when the city was under siege. Recent excavations have allowed scholars to deduce that the tunnel was actually an underground passageway to the large collection pool situated in Beit Ha-Ma’ayan.
A massive fortified tower, built over the spring, was discovered in Beit Ha-Ma’ayan (House of the Spring). When the section of tunnel connecting Warren’s Shaft with the pool at the bottom of Beit Ha-Ma’ayan was uncovered, it became clear that this was all part of one complete system.
The tunnel, dug by King Hezekiah at the time of his war with the Assyrians, is dramatically depicted in the Bible and was discovered many years ago. It appears that Hezekiah’s engineers blocked the source of the Gihon and diverted its waters into the tunnel. A carving found at the site details the complex digging process. The tunnel itself is one of the wonders of ancient technology.


The water flowing through the tunnel reached the same pool visited by the tourists who walk through the tunnel today. The pool, known as the Siloam Pool, is currently being excavated.