"You are about to enter the ancient heart of Biblical Jerusalem, where the Kingdom of Israel first emerged onto the stage of history. We will roam among the walls and towers of the City of David and recall King David's exciting conquest of the city from the Jebusites. At the Gihon Spring we willsee the site where the great Solomon was anointed and where Hezekiah cut the remarkable Siloam tunnel out of the rock. If you listen carefully, you may hear the words of the prophets Isaiah and Jeremiah whispered among the ruins, their ideas of justice and morality echoing through time. The area you are entering is relatively small, but remember: Biblical Jerusalem has had more impact on mankind than any other city in the world! The City of David is the place where it all began..." (Extracted from the brochure about the City of David National Park)
Many don’t know that the 'Original Jerusalem' was founded outside the perimeter of today’s Old City! Yes, the city upon which King David built his capital was outside the current walls of Jerusalem. Before David conquered the city (~1000 BC), Jerusalem was known as Jebus and was inhabited by a smart people called the Jebusites. This small ancient city (12 acres) is surrounded by valleys on all sides (except North, where lies the Temple Mount). The city was well fortified even during the period of Abraham (2000 BC) and Shalem as it was known then was where Abraham met Melchizedek, outside these very walls (Genesis 14:17-20). Joshua couldn't conquer the city (1400 BC) and until 1000 BC, When King David defeated the Jebusite stronghold, Jerusalem was outside Jewish hands.
The Jebusites built their city here for obvious reasons and water was one of the major factor. The city's lifesaving water source was an underground spring called Gihon. The city was built around Gihon and was protected by huge towers. They also made a secret tunnel or shaft to bring the water inside the city. The city was so fortified that Jebusites mocked David that even their blind and lame could defend him (II Samuel 5:6-9). However, David was smarter than they expected. His men took the secret water tunnel to enter the city and conquered it. Finally, David made Jerusalem his capital city. Since then Jerusalem has remained always actively in history for either good or bad reasons.
The gushing water of Gihon (still active and live today) was used to anoint King Solomon (I Kings 1:33-45). Later, when the Assyrians were planning to attack Israel, King Hezekiah made a long tunnel to divert Gihon’s water from the enemies. The diverted water of Gihon is finally collected in a pool called Siloam, the same pool where Jesus performed the miracle of curing the blind man (John 9:1-7). Today, walking past these sites, you can feel the essence of ancient core of Biblical Jerusalem...where it all began.
see more
http://www.cityofdavid.org.il/index.html
http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/History/davidjer.html
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