Where is the City of David? David’s men captured the fortified Jebusite stronghold. David lived there and called it the City of David. David filled the areas between the walls and the hill and built upon it. (II Samuel 5:9 )

The area created when the walls were built or expanded around Jerusalem was called the “Millo.” The term comes from the Hebrew word which means “to fill.” When the walls were built, dirt and rubble were used to fill the vacant space and to level the area. This was the millo.

Two hundred years ago, the location of the City of David was not known with certainty. Then Hezekiah’s tunnel was found in 1838. This is the tunnel King Hezekiah had prepared in anticipation of an attack by the Assyrians. (Second Chronicles 32:30) The tunnel runs from the Gihon Spring to the Siloam Pool at the foot of the City of David. Today, archaeologists have found this tunnel beneath the City of David.

“Now after this he (Hezekiah) built a wall without the city of David, on the west side of Gihon, in the valley, even to the entering in at the fish gate, and compassed about Ophel, and raised it (the wall) up a very great height . . .” – Second Chronicles 33:14

Temple worship required “living” water; water that flowed, not from a cistern. Large amounts of water were required for Temple worship. There was much blood, from the many sacrifices, that needed to be washed away. Also, the great bronze Sea, which held 3,000 measures (baths) of water, required almost 18,000 gallons of water to be filled. The priests used this water to cleanse themselves before entering the Temple. This water was changed daily. – The Temple, Alfred Edersheim, p. 45

The root of “Gihon” means to burst forth or gush. The Gihon Spring is a siphon spring, which means that it periodically gushes forth water. Only a very small percentage of all springs are siphon springs.

There is no source of water on or around the traditional Temple Mount. Can you imagine carrying 18,000 gallons of water up to the traditional Temple Mount from the Gihon Spring on a daily basis? This amounts to about seventy-five tons of water daily.

The City of David was located where there was a source of water, the Gihon Spring. Part of the City of David included the Ophel area. The City of David was made defensible with the Kidron Valley on one side and the Tyropean Valley on the other side. The Gihon Spring and Hezekiah’s Tunnel are in the City of David.

We know where the City of David is located. And, again, the Bible and history tell us that the Temple was located in the City of David.

Next, the Tower Antonia. Please continue to pray for each other, and praise the Lord, always!