CITYsights: King David's palace discovered?

Archaeological dig in Silwan reveals many exciting new finds including part of King David's original palace.

By ITRAVELJERUSALEM.COM TEAM
Jerusalem Old City archeology 521 (photo credit: Antiquities Authority)
Jerusalem Old City archeology 521
(photo credit: Antiquities Authority)
The first installment in the new CITYsights video column takes you right back to where it all began, over 3,000 years ago, when King David left his old stomping ground in Hebron and headed for the hills of Jerusalem.
As you’ll see in the video, situated deep below ground in the Arab village of Silwan, just under the Temple Mount, is the City of David, the remains of the once-grand citadel where a dynasty of Judean kings ruled. As iTravelJerusalem guide Danny Herman says in the film, the proximity of the Gihon spring in the valley was the reason why people chose to settle in the area to begin with.
These days, archaeological excavations continue under Silwan, revealing many exciting new finds. A massive visitors’ center, overlooking the remains of a building some believe was the palace of Jerusalem’s kings, has been built to accommodate the many tourists who frequent the site.
The center offers an exciting tour that begins with an observation overlooking the remains of Biblical Jerusalem. Adventurous visitors with a taste for ancient water cisterns are also invited to take the plunge and wade through history in the waters of the 2,700-year-old Hezekiah’s Tunnel.
As Danny reveals in the video, some archaeologists claim that one of the walls unearthed at the site was part of David’s original palace. That vantage point may have afforded King David a commanding view of the surrounding terrain, as well as Batsheva bathing on her roof.
The animated simulation of King David’s Jerusalem is part of the presentation film at the City of David and is presented courtesy of the site.
For more information on restaurants and other tourist destinations in Jerusalem, visit iTravelJerusalem.com. "like" itraveljerusalem on facebook, and you could win a luxury vacation in Jerusalem and the city of David.