Wednesday, June 7 (יום רביעי, 13 סיון)

Seth’s alarm blared at 06:30, but I rose to my own alarm at 06:45. Equipping the red TI shirt and khakis, we went to the Lobby and had breakfast in the dining hall together. I had Israeli salad with hummus, a croissant, juice, and plain yogurt — the latter was not to my liking. I will omit the rest of the prelim details, since the day was a really long one!

We headed on the bus (except for one hold-out from illness), and took off at 08:15. We’re going to the Old City again! Gili repeated his stories about הר הזיתים (Mt. of Olives), and the valleys,, and without a פקק this morning, it was a quick arrival at עיר דוד (City of David). At the gate, there was a harp motif, as well as the name… in ANCIENT Hebrew! There, the daleths were like deltas, and other letters didn’t resemble modern Hebrew at all! Nevertheless, it was exciting to read.

Upon entering, we took a left and a stairwell and a walkway led to an alcove with an umbrella, where Gili talked to us about the ongoing excavation of the area. The strategic choice of where the city should be placed was also spoken about, in the context of history. We then entered an air-conditioned theatre where a film about the City of David traced the history of Jerusalem, and this area of the city as well. In history, Jerusalem was chosen as the unifying capital of the Twelve Tribes, since it wasn’t a part of any tribal land. It is much like Mexico D.F. or Washington D.C.

The tour continued on the roof of the theatre, where we saw a high-low panorama of the Old City, the Older City, and the Arab village Silwan. The palace of David might have been found where the visitor’s center is now, and a preview of the day was given, with the beginning of a story about King Zedekiah.

Continue reading: [Tour of Israel Day 2] Tunneling Through Ancient Cities | Never A Worry