City of David #SonlifeIsrael2017

After eating lunch, we walked down to the “City of David”, which was a very cool site and is a more recent archeological project. The City of David is the original Jerusalem that David conquered after 7 years of ruling Israel from Hebron. 

Jerusalem was a fortified city of the Jebusites. Before that, it is believed that Jerusalem was the city of Salem (home of Melchizedek, see Genesis 14:18). Melchizedek was a priest of God Most High, and a King. This was his city in the days of Abram. The archeological dig actually revealed pieces of a fortress that date back to the 18th century B.C., which would be the time of Abram and Melchizedek. 

Crazy!

When David attacked the city, he actually attacked it from the water tunnel. The Jebusites thought their fortress was impenetrable, but David had a wild plan. It is believed that he snuck through the water tunnel with his men and laid siege to the city from within, which left the majority of the city still in tact. 

And the king [David] and his men went to Jerusalem against the Jebusites, the inhabitants of the land, who said to David, “You will not come in here, but the blind and the lame will ward you off”-thinking, “David cannot come in here.” Nevertheless, David took the stronghold of Zion, that is, the city of David. And David said on that day, “Whoever would strike the Jebusites, let him get up the water shaft to attack ‘the lame and the blind,’ who are hated by David’s soul.” Therefore it is said, “The blind and the lame shall not come into the house.” And David lived in the stronghold and called it the city of David. And David built the city all around from the Millo inward. – 2 Samuel 5:6-9, ESV

David captured the city, made it the capital of Israel, and then moved into the stronghold (main building within the city) that was called “Zion”. 

No one knows what “Zion” actually means. It has become synonymous with Jerusalem, but it is actually a Jebusite word and the entire Jebusite language has been long lost. 

Possibly one of the most interesting things we saw today was the archeological dig of what was probably a royal area of Zion. One of the flat stones in one of the very small rooms had a hole in the center… a 10th century B.C. Western-style toilet!!