The City of David

Posted byrandy@letters-to-rachel.memorialPosted inKnow Your Place, Updates From the Abandoned PlanetTags:, , , , ,

Dearest Rachel –

“♫ Jerusalem, if I forget you
Let my right hand forget what it’s supposed to do ♪”

We bounce in to the strains of reggae, if you can believe it.  Jordan claims it’s a tradition among us at the Bridge, but I don’t recall that from past visits to Jerusalem.  Our first time around, in fact, I think we’d played “The Holy City” as we came within the city limits. Still, this is a younger crowd, and I doubt most of them are even familiar with that particular aria.

While we kept silent doing the previous song (mostly from not knowing the words, despite following one of the Psalms), the entire bus sings along to “(What a) Powerful Name” when it plays, followed by what I thought was Hayden and Janson’s own (“God I Need You Now”) but it seems I was mistaken about that.

What else is there to do as you drive into a place like this? Complain about the traffic?

Although, actually, it is rather worth complaining about, if only in jest (after all, I’m not the one fighting it). Progress is slow as we enter the city, and it doesn’t get any easier once we emerge from the tunnel leading into the old city, as we’re also hemmed in by cars and trucks on all sides – and some of them are insanely close to us.  There’s only so fast we can go, especially when you have to be so careful. It’s a wonder any vehicle in this town still has its side view mirrors.

While Jerusalem as a whole is considered ‘the city of David,’ due to his conquering it and making it his capital, there is a specific site referred to as the City of David – which we first got to see last time we were here; it’s that recent a discovery – that actually dates from David’s time, and before, even.

By contrast with Masada, where only a handful decided to climb up the Snake Path, more than half of our group decides to go to the commando route through the water channel, also known as Hezekiah’s tunnel, as he was the king who order it dug, as he prepared the Israelites against an Assyrian siege. Daniel doesn’t seem as enthusiastic about it as the caves of Qumran (or even the stream of En Gedi), and since I didn’t dress for the occasion either (my water shoes are packed in my suitcase, and I didn’t so much as bring shorts, unless you count my swim trunks), we’re going to take the dry route with most of the ladies.

David set his city below the Temple Mount, marked with the black-domed mosque.
To the right of Mount Moriah is the Mount of Olives, with the Jewish cemetery (just outside the old city) covering it. It’s said that the Messiah will arrive here – which checks out, as the disciples were told Jesus would come down again in the same way He went up last time – so these folks presumably have the best seats in the house for the Resurrection.
You can see a lot of the eastern city from this vantage point. For whatever reason, Yael imagines David scoping out Bathsheba from here.
Of course, neither of us are any Bathsheba.

Meanwhile, there is a lot of honking going on down on the streets. At first, Yael, laughs it off. “Welcome to Jerusalem,” she says. But after ask an extended period of time, with no let up to the honking, even she reacts in wonder. “What on earth is going on?!” Clearly, this is unusual, even for this town.

We never do find out what’s going on, but as we descend into the archeological site, the sound of honking slowly fades away, and it matters less and less.

While it’s not entirely clear whether this particular area was a palace, the capital (displayed on the wall) found here would suggest so. It’s essentially a ‘B’ site at this point, at least, as far as being a palace. There have been seals found throughout the dig with the names of various known kings, so that much gives it ‘A’ level credibility, but where the palace was is still a matter of guesswork.
We pass by the ruins of the compound of a family wealthy family in ancient Jerusalem, and Yael points out – what else? – a latrine off to our right side.

At this point, she explains why she’s interested in such structures. The thing is, not only is sanitation the mark of a civilized society, but what’s left behind in such places offers a glimpse into the diet of the inhabitants. Of particular interest is a period of time when this wealthy family, accustomed to eating meat and fish on a regular basis, was reduced to eating nothing but grain and flour. This basically marked the time of the Assyrian siege of the city that Hezekiah attempted to prepare for; serving as yet another case where archaeology verifies the biblical record.

The entrance to the tunnels displays an illustration of Jerusalem at the time of Solomon against the modern city we know and see today.
The spring of Gihon, where it’s believed that Solomon (and many of the succeeding kings) were anointed.
And around behind the spring (or is it in front of it) is the fortress, which actually predates even David.

Now, the Canaanite tunnel may be shorter – and dryer – but the ‘commandos’ going through Hezekiah’s tunnel have gotten through faster, and are already waiting for us at the pool of Siloam as we emerge to what’s left of daylight. So we’re left having to hurry, in order to catch up with them at the spring of Siloam.

When we arrive, Junior reads the passage about the assault on the Jebusite city.

When Junior finishes, Denim reads a passage pertaining to the pool we’re seated beside, about the man born blind, and how Jesus healed him. Pastor Scott mentions the thought that the man literally had no eyes in his sockets, and Jesus had to create eyes out of dirt for him, just as His Father had done for Adam’s entire body so much further back in time.

***

For all that, the ride back to the entrance of the site was in some ways the most memorable, as the shuttle driver tore through the narrow streets (lined with cars on either side, I might add) like he’d stolen the van we were trapped in here with him.  Becky observed that one should never ride in a vehicle with a driver who’s braver than one is.

Then again, maybe they all drive like that. 

***

Sundown finds us inside the Old City, by the Dung Gate (fortunately, there isn’t any to deal with).
And just as the mosque sits atop the site of the Temple, so the minaret stands where the priest blowing the shofar would have stood to signify the beginning and end of the Shabbat, as well as other holy days.

By now, it’s growing dark (as you can see), and we can no longer stay in the city – in fact, Yael doesn’t recommend people bother on their own. We make our way out and up a hill, where our driver eventually makes his way through traffic to pick us up, and deliver us to our hotel…

another Ramada Inn – in fact, the one we stayed in on our first visit. I’ll let you think about that for the time being, while I get to bed early tonight – we’re expected to be on the bus by 7:15 in the morning!

At least we don’t have to pack everything up this time.

Still, keep an eye on us, honey, and wish us luck. We’re going to need it.

Published by randy@letters-to-rachel.memorial

I am Rachel's husband. Was. I'm still trying to deal with it. I probably always will be.

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