Students excavating newly discovered areas in city of David
We visited the old city of David today which dates back some 3500 years. We saw Hezekiah’s tunnel and wall and saw why he was able to keep the Assyrians at bay.
Our next stop was the newly discoverd Pool of Siloam where Jesus told a blind man to wash in order to gain his sight. We sat on steps that surrounded that pool when Jesus was there. The amusing part is that the site was discovered when Israeli authorities were rerouting a sewer pipe.
Steps down to the pool, not yet excavated
We spent some additional time in the old city of Jerusalem where it is especially easy to see how ancient civilizations built on top of previous civilizations. Many of these historic sites are like layered cakes–the further down you go the further back in history you go.
Our final stop was the Garden Tomb. While the Church of the Holy Seplucher is the traditional site of Jesus’ burial, in the 19th Century a British officer discovered another place where the resurrection may have taken place. While visiting W. Spafford, who wrote “It is Well With My Soul” this British officer looked out beyond the city and saw in a rock outcropping the image of a skull. Because “place of the skull” is the meaning of Golgotha, he began to investigate. He found nearby a garden tomb cut out of the limestone rock. Archeologists have confirmed that it is a tomb from the 1st Century period. There is no way to know if this was THE tomb, but it is as close as we will ever see.
Is it the place of the skull?
An authentic Jewish tomb of the 1st Century; is it The tomb?
Outside the Garden Tomb
I’m glad to report that it’s still “empty.” But I’m filled!
