Jerusalem

The Growth of Jerusalem (map)

Over time, the Judean capital city of Jerusalem grew and expanded well beyond the small boundaries of the City of David. At first, the Temple Mount was an addition to the city and was, apparently, fortified in some way (which still remains unknown). Later, the process of expansion "beyond the walls" occured after the population continued to increas...

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The Jebusite Foundation

During the 1960's the British archeologist Kathleen Kenyon excavated the eastern slope of the city's hill. She succeeded in exposing, at the middle of the slope, the remains of the solid Jebusite defense wall that King David had to overcome in his conquest of Jerusalem. Only the small section pictured was exposed during the excavation. [Archaeolog...

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The Wide Wall from the Jewish Quarter

Broad wall of the Jewish Quarter. This wall, which was discovered by Professor Avigad, is an impressive archaeological testimony of the fortification effort by King Hezekiah. The length of the segment of the exposed wall is 65 meters, and its width is 7 meters. The wall is assumed to be from the period of Hezekiah, because clay fragments identified...

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The Ancient Wall inside today's Jewish Quarter

This wide wall is located in the heart of the reconstructed Jewish quarter of today's Old City. A segment of it was left exposed in the quarter so that visitors could easily see it and gain an insight into the strength of the fortification. [Archaeology] [Images of selected sites in Jerusalem]...

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Ophel Hill (City of David)

Excavations in the Hill of Ophel. The City of David is located on the Ophel hill, a hill sloping southward from the southeastern side of the Temple Mount. Today the Ophel is an archaeological garden, open to the public for study tours. Extensive excavations in this area, carried out since 1968, cut through about 2,500 years of history and include s...

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Excavations in the City of David

The City of David is located on the Ophel hill, a hill sloping southward from the southeastern side of the Temple Mount. Today the Ophel is an archaeological garden, open to the public for study tours. Extensive excavations in this area, carried out since 1968, cut through about 2,500 years of history and include some 25 layers. Important finds fro...

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The Temple of Herod

The Temple of Herod was a massive structure located in Jerusalem. It was built at the order of King Herod during the second period of King Herod's reign (25-13 BCE ). During this time, the king initiated a major building and rebuilding program, and this was by far the most famous of all projects. [Model] [Archaeology] [Images of selected sites in ...

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The Garden of Gethsemane (article)

The Garden of Gethsemane is located across the Kidron valley to the east of Jerusalem and on the western slope of the Mount of Olives. The word Gethsemane means "oil press" or "olive press" which leads scholars to believe that the garden was a grove of olive trees in which was located an oil press. Susan Clayton [Archaeology] [Images of selected s...

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Mount Zion - article

Geographically, the mountain known as Zion is an elongated triangular plateau that forms the ridge between the Kidron valley to the east and the Tyropoean valley to the west. Rising slightly above the surounding Judean countryside and flanked to the east by a constant water supply from the Gihon spring, this mount was most likely chosen as a habita...

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The Gihon Spring, Hezekiah's Tunnel, and the Pool of Siloam

Hezekiah's water tunnel in Jerusalem, the Gihon Spring, and the Pool of Siloam. The Gihon Spring was a primary water source for the ancient city of Jerusalem. When the king of Assyria (Sennacherib) was making war against Judah (Isaiah 36:1), and it was clear that Jersualem would likely be attacked as well, Hezekiah (king of Judah) fortified the c...

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