David's Tomb

Welcome to the holy city of Jerusalem. As your guide and fellow scholar, I invite you to join me on an archaeological and historical journey to uncover the true resting place of King David. …

Let us begin our approach to the traditional Mount Zion complex by standing just outside the magnificent sixteenth century walls of Jerusalem's Old City. These towering limestone fortifications were commissioned by the Ottoman…

Before we enter the traditional tomb itself, we must pause at the base of this ancient building to examine its foundations. Recent archaeological research has revealed that we are standing above six distinct layers of historical…

We now step into the ground floor of the complex, which currently serves as an active, twenty four hour Orthodox Jewish synagogue. Because this is a functioning house of prayer, the space is formally divided by a wooden partition…

Having ascended the staircase, we arrive on the first floor of this ancient building, standing directly above the traditional Tomb of David. We have entered the celebrated Room of the Last Supper, also known as the Cenacle. …

Climbing the final set of narrow stairs, we emerge out of the shadows of the Crusader hall and into the bright Mediterranean sunshine on the rooftop of the Upper Room building. Take a deep breath of the fresh, elevated air. …

We have now left the high elevation of Mount Zion and traveled southeast, descending to the narrow, eleven acre ridge of land known historically and archaeologically as the true City of David. This small, sharply sloping…

We are now standing directly in front of the monumental rock cut galleries that Raymond Weill simply designated as Tomb One. Look carefully at the massive excavation in the bedrock before you. …

Just a few steps below the ancient royal tombs, we arrive at another monumental archaeological discovery tightly linked to the legacy of King David. We are looking at the foundational ruins of an ancient building from the first…

As our journey through the layers of Jerusalem draws to a close, we find ourselves standing at the true, rock hewn origins of the city's royal history. We have traced a remarkable path today, navigating not just the physical…